NILES, Ohio – The State College Spikes got a quartet of solid mount efforts from Connery Peters, Major League Baseball Draft League Pitcher of the Month Daniel Padysak, Chris Barraza and Jacob Odle, then took advantage of a spate of Mahoning Valley Scrappers misplays to pick up a 9-4 victory on Saturday night at Eastwood Field.
Peters led the way for the Spikes (11-14) by recording his second straight seven-strikeout performance in four innings on the mound, upping his season total to an MLB Draft League-leading 31 whiffs. The UT-Arlington right-hander allowed three runs on five hits and a hit batsman before giving way to Padysak (1-0), who was named MLB Draft League Pitcher of the Month for June before Saturday’s game.
Padysak, who announced his commitment to the University of Georgia on Thursday, went two innings and allowed just one hit, a double, and his first hit batsman in 17 2/3 innings on the mound this season. The right-hander from Prague, Czech Republic, who represented his country at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, also struck out two batters to increase his season total to 24. Padysak is now in a tie for fifth in the MLB Draft League in strikeouts, while his 0.51 ERA ranks third and his 0.74 WHIP ranks second.
Barraza then tossed a scoreless seventh inning before Odle notched five strikeouts over two innings to finish the game and tie teammate Matthew Linskey for second in the MLB Draft League with 29 K’s for the season.
Offensively, the Spikes used five Mahoning Valley (9-15) errors, four of them in the third inning alone, to spark their attack. All four of State College’s third-inning runs scored on the miscues to hand over a lead that would not be relinquished.
Kyle Huckstorf launched his first home run as a Spike, a 398-foot shot to left-center field that brought in two runs, in the seventh inning. Huckstorf also added a ground-rule double in the game. Cam Bufford went 2-for-4 with his team-leading 15th run batted in of the season.
Scrappers starter Tony Rossi (0-3) took the loss despite all four of the runs he allowed over 2 2/3 innings being unearned. Rossi struck out six batters while yielding two hits and three walks.
Brandon Hylton homered for the second straight night for Mahoning Valley, smashing a two-run dinger 431 feet over the batter’s eye in center field in the first inning.
Sunday, the Spikes finish their road trip with a 2:05 p.m. rubber match in the three-game set against the Scrappers at Eastwood Field. Right-hander Gabe Starks (0-0), a college teammate of Peters at UT-Arlington, gets the start for State College. Mahoning Valley has not yet named a starting pitcher.
Following the series against Mahoning Valley, the Spikes return home on July 3rd with two highlights of the long Independence Day weekend on the slate.
The skies over Happy Valley are getting set to light up like never before this July 3rd and 4th with a double feature of fun as the PATRIOTIC FIREWORKS SPIKE-TACULAR presented by the PA Lottery brings one of the biggest displays ever at a State College Spikes game on July 3rd, and the largest FIREWORKS show in Pennsylvania returns with the Central PA 4th Fest to celebrate Independence Day on July 4th.
The PATRIOTIC FIREWORKS SPIKE-TACULAR show, presented by the PA Lottery, is set to last approximately 20 minutes, with streams of light shooting high into the nighttime skies, after the Spikes' 6:35 p.m. game against the Williamsport Crosscutters on the 3rd. That night will also be Military Appreciation Night at the ballpark, featuring half-price tickets for all military members with ID, along with a Penn State Navy ROTC Color Guard and tributes to the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country.
Then, the Central PA 4th Fest returns in full force on July 4 as Medlar Field serves as a VIP Viewing Area *for the *fully choreographed FIREWORKS display *provided by *Starfire Corporation. The home of the Spikes opens at 4 p.m. and will host live music from Yachtley Crew and Gabe Stillman, plus Kids Run the Baseson the field, kids activities in the Geisinger Kids Zone, and more during the celebration.
Fans can purchase their tickets now at StateCollegeSpikes.com and CentralPA4thFest.org. Individual Spikes VIP tickets start at just $15, with Spikes VIP 4-Packs starting at just $40, with select packages including VIP Parking in the Porter North lot for the day. Lawn VIP tickets are available for $20, with Lawn VIP 4-Packs available for $80 that include VIP Parking in the south end of the Jordan East lot. Other a la carte parking options are also available. Larger groups can purchase 10-person Pepsi Picnic Pavilion picnic table packages for $100, with limited availability.
For more information on July 3rd and 4th with the Spikes, or to purchase any of the available ticket packages, call the Spikes Ticket Office at 814-272-1711, buy and download at StateCollegeSpikes.com, or visit the Ticket Office in-person during normal business hours, which will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday this week.
Fans can also buy and download single-game tickets, and view the full 2023 promotional schedule, by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.
More ticket packages, including Flex Books and an array of group and hospitality options for the 2023 season, are currently on sale by calling the Spikes at (814) 272-1711. Additional information on all club ticketing options, as well as team news and schedule info, can be viewed at StateCollegeSpikes.com.
Catch all the action of the Spikes’ game on Sunday 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 Eastwood Field starting at approximately 1:50 p.m.
The game can be viewed worldwide on the MLB Draft League streaming platform at MLBDraftLeague.com/streaming, along with the “Listen Live” link on StateCollegeSpikes.com and the TuneIn Radio app.
