NILES, Ohio – Trent Taylor notched his MLB Draft League-leading fifth triple of the season as part of a multi-hit night, but the Mahoning Valley Scrappers dealt the State College Spikes a 4-1 defeat on Thursday night at Eastwood Field to drop the Spikes two games back of a title game berth with nine to play in the regular season.
Taylor, a UCF product, also stole two bases as he upped his batting average with the Spikes (18-13 2nd half) to .359. The Merritt Island, Fla. Native has posted a second-half average of .357 for the third-best mark in the league during that span. In addition, Taylor’s .527 slugging percentage for the second half is now eighth-best in the league.
With the loss, the Spikes now trail the Williamsport Crosscutters in the race for the second-half berth in the MLB Draft League Championship Game on Tuesday, September 6. The highest-finishing team, aside from the first-half champion West Virginia Black Bears, will go to Monongalia County Ballpark to face the Black Bears, and the Crosscutters now hold the upper hand with a 19-10 second-half record entering a three-game set against the Spikes this weekend.
Mahoning Valley (11-20 2nd half) took the lead in the third inning on Parker DePasquale’s solo homer to left, his second home run of the season, then added three runs in the fourth to build a lead they would not relinquish. Oscar Ponce singled to right field to bring in the first run of the frame, with Adam Fogel’s double and DePasquale’s single each going to left field to bring home additional tallies.
The Spikes were able to get on the board in the seventh when Luis Aviles led off with a single, moved to second on a groundout, and came home on Brody Perkes’s single to left field.
State College starter J.D. Daniels (3-2) took the loss. Daniels, who allowed his first homer after facing 120 batters in the MLB Draft League when DePasquale went deep, yielded all four Scrappers runs on a total of six hits and two walks. The righty also recorded one strikeout.
Mahoning Valley starter Masen Palmier (2-4) tossed seven innings of one-run ball for the win. Palmier gave up six hits and a walk while striking out seven batters during his mound tenure. Anthony Boix (2) allowed one hit and struck out three batters over the last two innings for the save.
Friday, the Spikes embark on a crucial series against the Crosscutters, with the opener of the three-game set taking place at Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field. Right-hander Jared Kengott (2-1), who held Williamsport to two unearned runs over five innings in his last start against the Crosscutters on August 4, gets the ball for State College. Williamsport will counter with right-hander Matt Gilbertson (3-1), who has made his last two starts against the Spikes and allowed four runs over a total of 13 1/3 innings while recording a 13-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Following the contest in Williamsport, the Spikes will come back home to complete the series with a pair of home games against the Crosscutters, part of a regular-season-ending eight-game homestand at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Highlights of the upcoming homestand include two bobblehead giveaways, with both subjects also appearing at the ballpark on their respective bobblehead nights. Two-time NCAA wrestling champion Roman Bravo-Young will meet and greet fans, sign autographs and more on Saturday, August 27 when his bobblehead goes to the first 1,000 fans of all ages, presented by McClure Company.
Plus, Michael Mauti, the heart and soul of the 2012 “Iron Lions,” will be on hand as part of the night’s activities on Saturday, September 3, with his bobblehead also going to the first 1,000 fans of all ages, presented by Penn State Health.
In addition, fans will be thrilled by the chance to see spectacular displays light up the Happy Valley skies from the ballpark infield as part of FIREWORKS from the Field, with McClure Company presenting the show on Saturday, August 27 and Starfire Corporation presenting the show on Sunday, September 4 at the Fan Appreciation Night regular season finale presented by Lion Country Kia.
More highlights include the Spikes Hockey Jersey-off-the-Back Auction presented by PSECU benefiting Children’s Miracle Network on Hockey Night in Happy Valley, which will take place on Sunday, August 28, and the last Bark in the Park of the season, presented by the Centre Daily Times, on Friday, September 2.
A nearly full slate of Daily Fan Value Promotions will also be available, including two more Super Saturdays thanks to the PA Lottery and B94.5.
Tickets for each of the eight games remaining on the Spikes’ biggest regular season home schedule in franchise history 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 an array of group and hospitality options for the 2022 season and for football Saturdays in the fall, 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 Friday 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 Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field starting at 6:20 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.
