(Records for the Sudden Death Tiebreaker are not currently included in official game records on the box score and play-by-play, pending further evaluation by the MLB Draft League)
NILES, Ohio – For the second consecutive game, the State College Spikes and Mahoning Valley Scrappers went to the MLB Draft League Sudden Death Tiebreaker at Eastwood Field, with the Scrappers once again recording three outs in the extra frame to defeat the Spikes on Sunday afternoon.
In the Sudden Death Tiebreaker, Ryan Chesney pinch-ran to begin the half-inning as the designated runner and was caught stealing second. After Josh Madole’s single, Mahoning Valley (4-11 2nd half) reliever Alan Carter, who had come on at the start of the Sudden Death Tiebreaker, forced Rob Morosetti to ground into a double play to end the game.
State College (9-7 2nd half) built a 5-0 lead through 6 ½ innings of play. Brock Reller doubled down the right-field line to bring in Trent Taylor with the game’s first run in the third inning. Rob Morosetti then doubled past a diving Abimael Gonzalez Acosta in left field in the fourth to score John Mead in the fourth, with Brody Perkes’s two-out single three batters later bringing in both Madole and Morosetti.
In the seventh, Reller drove in his second run of the game with a single to the right side to bring in Dawson Bailey.
The Scrappers started their comeback in the seventh as Dom Bucko swung at Will Lancaster’s first pitch in relief and sent it over the right-field wall for a three-run homer, his first of the season.
In the eighth, Parker DePasquale singled to right field to bring in Gabe Gonzalez, and after Tristen Hudson hit Taj Porter with a pitch to load the bases, Jarficur Parker took a walk to tie the game.
Spikes starter Brendan Knoll delivered perhaps his best outing with the club on Sunday, tossing six scoreless innings in which he allowed four hits and two walks while striking out four batters.
No winning or losing pitcher is recorded in games that reach the MLB Draft League Sudden Death Tiebreaker.
Following a league-wide off day on Monday, the Spikes will return home to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park to begin a three-game home series against the West Virginia Black Bears at 6:35 p.m. on Tuesday. Right-hander Louis Davenport III (0-0) is scheduled to make his fourth start of the season for State College. West Virginia is slated to send right-hander Patrick Miner (1-2) to the mound.
Fans will also be able to bring their favorite four-legged friend with Bark in the Park III presented by the Centre Daily Times on Tuesday as doggie doors and gates open at 5:30 p.m. for the general public. Bark in the Park rules and regulations are available at https://bit.ly/SCBarkInThePark, and the first 150 dogs get a special giveaway from Happy Valley Insurance.
Plus, it’s a $2 Walking Taco Tuesday at the ballpark presented by WOWY, with Walking Tacos at the beefed-up Salsa stand behind home plate just $2 apiece all game long.
Other highlights of the three-game homestand include Ladies Night with a special pre-game Sip & Paint Ticket Package available on Wednesday, and Bellefonte Community Night with a FREE Geisinger Kids Zone! presented by Friends of Jake Corman on a Thirsty Thursday.
Tickets for every game remaining in the second half of the Spikes’ biggest regular season home schedule in franchise history, including all three remaining FIREWORKS from the Field shows, are available now. Tickets can be purchased by calling (814) 272-1711 or by visiting the Spikes Ticket Office in person from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Fans can also buy and download single-game tickets, and view the full 2022 promotional schedule, at the only source for authentic Spikes tickets online by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.
More ticket packages, including Flex Books and an array of group and hospitality options for the 2022 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 Tuesday via the Spikes Radio Network presented by Penn State Sports Medicine, Official Healthcare Provider of Penn State Athletics with Steve Jones and Joe Putnam on the call. The broadcast starts with Spikes Live! presented by Mount Nittany Health, on the air from Medlar Field at Lubrano Park at approximately 6:10 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.
