GRANVILLE, W.Va. – Jordan Morales, who spent two seasons on the mound at Penn State before joining the State College Spikes, recorded the Spikes’ first double-digit strikeout game since 2022 and allowed just one run over seven innings to give State College a 2-1 victory over the West Virginia Black Bears on Friday night at Kendrick Family Ballpark.
Morales (3-0) struck out 10 Black Bears (10-9 2nd Half), including five in a row at one point, to post the most strikeouts in a single outing for the Spikes (10-10 2nd Half) since Louis Davenport III set a franchise record with 12 against Mahoning Valley on August 16, 2022. M
The southpaw’s 10 strikeouts are also tied for the third-most in a Major League Baseball Draft League game this season behind current Baltimore Orioles farmhand Christian Rodriguez’s league-record 16 strikeouts on July 12 and Sonny Fauci’s 11 whiffs for Trenton on July 28. Morales matched Cory Ronan’s 10 strikeouts for West Virginia on July 11.
In addition, Morales’s seven innings on the mound equaled Sebastian Rodriguez’s seven frames on August 1, 2023 for the most in the Spikes’ past three seasons. Morales, who went seven or more innings on five occasions as an All-Big Ten Third Team performer this spring at Purdue, retired the first six batters he faced and set down another eight straight at one point in his 99-pitch outing while allowing just two hits and three walks.
Nick Palumbo (1) wrapped up the Spikes’ win with two scoreless innings for the save, striking out one batter himself while allowing one hit and two hit batsmen.
Cam Bufford gave the Spikes the lead with a two-out RBI single to center field in the first inning. Cooper Hext extended the lead by scoring on a two-out balk in the third.
Kendal Ewell produced a two-out RBI single in the third for West Virginia to produce the eventual final score.
Black Bears starter Ryan Sleeper (1-1) took the loss after yielding both Spikes runs on three hits, a walk and a hit batsman while striking out two batters over three innings.
Saturday, the Spikes continue their road trip with the second game of their three-game set against the Black Bears. State College is set to send right-hander Nick Hohenstein (1-0) to the mound for the 7:00 p.m. game.
Following the series in West Virginia from Friday through Sunday, the Spikes will visit Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio for a three-game set against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers from Monday through Wednesday before returning home to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park for a seven-game homestand starting on Thursday, August 15.
Highlights of the upcoming homestand include FIREWORKS presented by Penn State Health on Saturday, August 17, American Health Association Lifesaver Night sponsored by PSECU on Thursday, August 15, Paint the Park Purple presented by Juniper Village on Sunday, August 18, and an Eric Milton Appearance and No-Hitter 25th Anniversary Commemorative Poster Giveaway on Wednesday, August 21.
To purchase tickets to all 12 remaining home games on the Spikes’ 2024 schedule at the new-look Medlar Field at Lubrano Park through September 3, fans can call 814-272-1711 or visit the Spikes Ticket Office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with hours during home game days of 9 a.m. to the end of the game Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to the end of the game on Saturday and Sunday.
Fans can also buy and download single-game tickets 24/7, and view the 2024 promotional schedule, by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.
Catch all of the action of the Spikes’ game on Saturday via the Spikes Radio Network presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, Official Healthcare Provider of Penn State Athletics with Joe Putnam on the call. The broadcast starts with Spikes Live! presented by Mount Nittany Health on the air from Kendrick Family Ballpark at approximately 6:45 p.m.
The game can be viewed worldwide on the MLB Draft League streaming platform powered by Pixellot at MLB.watch.pixellot.tv and the Watch section of the MLB app by scrolling the Watch Now tab, along with the “Listen Live” link on StateCollegeSpikes.com and the TuneIn Radio app.
