STATE COLLEGE — Having hit just one home run all season, the Spikes were in search of a power surge to help them get back into New York-Penn League contention. The offense answered by bringing the heavy lumber, hitting six home runs over seven contests against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, Auburn Doubledays and Batavia Muckdogs. Improvement in the power game and several fantastic pitching performances led the Spikes to a 4-3 record last week, improving their overall mark to 10-14 in 2018.
The July 3 home contest brought with it Independence Day festivities, such as an appearance from the Human Cannonball and a fireworks show. The fireworks could not translate to the offense, however, as the Scrappers finished the series with a 2-0 victory. Spikes’ batters were flustered by Scrappers’ starter Luis Oviedo, who threw seven scoreless innings to improve to 3-0 with a 0.32 ERA in 2018. Edwin Figuera put the Spikes in scoring position in the fourth, hitting a triple to left-center field with only one out. One play later, the inning ceased with Figuera thrown out at home.
On the Independence Day holiday, the Spikes came ready for their trip to Auburn to face the Doubledays, winning 3-1. Starter Jim Voyles came out with his best performance of the season, tossing seven innings and only giving up one run. Voyles also added six strikeouts compared to just five allowed hits. After a Brady Whalen double knocked in a first inning run, the biggest blast of the night came from Wadye Ynfante. Ynfante hit a home run shot to right field to lead off the fourth, a key play in ending the Doubledays’ nine-game winning streak. The Spikes are now 10-3 all-time on Independence Day with the victory.
Ynfante’s shot sparked an offensive confidence the next night, leading to an 11-hit explosion for Spikes’ batters in a rain-shortened 8-0 victory. Coming into the seventh inning holding a close 2-0 lead, the Spikes broke the game open in part due to Doubledays’ mistakes. Andres Luna’s bunt single was the lone hit of the inning, yet the offense put four runs on the board to increase the lead to 6-0, thanks to two errors, two walks and three wild pitches from the opponent. In his first professional start, 2018 draft pick Michael Baird threw for four shutout innings, striking out four while allowing just three hits.
The series finale was not as positive as the Spikes could not sweep the Doubledays, dropping the game 4-2. Down 2-0 in the fifth inning, the Spikes offense needed a boost, and got just that from Imeldo Diaz. Diaz crushed the first pitch of the at-bat over the right-field wall for his first home run of the season. The solo shot cut the deficit in half, yet the Spikes were unable to close the remainder of the gap. Home runs from the Doubledays’ Israel Pineda and Pablo O’Connor gave the team a commanding 4-1 lead. In the ninth, Nick Dunn cracked a two-out single to bring in Walker Robbins, putting the tying run to the plate. Justin Toerner then grounded out to end the contest.
The opening stages of the Spikes’ series with the Muckdogs was highlighted by homers, taking the July 7 game 7-4. In the fourth inning, Brady Whalen hit his first home run in a Spikes uniform, giving the team an early 2-0 lead. After a four-run seventh inning put the team up 6-4, it was Toerner’s turn to light up the sky, hitting a solo shot to right field in the ninth.
While the power stayed consistent the next afternoon, the result was different, this time resulting in an 8-3 loss to the Muckdogs. During the third inning, Luna went deep for his first home run as part of the Spikes, followed by another Whalen bomb to left field. Taking a 3-1 lead was not enough to win, however, as the team gave up five runs in the seventh en route to the defeat.
Facing off one more time with the Muckdogs, the Spikes were victorious in the rubber match, 3-0. Spikes’ pitching was nothing short of dominant, allowing just five hits while striking out 11 opposing batters. Voyles was credited with the victory, going five innings with five strikeouts compared to three hits allowed. Hector Villalobos, Will Changarotty and Kevin Hamann also pitched during the combined shutout, with Hamann earning his third save of the season. The offense was backed by multiple-hit games from Luna, Figuera and Toerner, including a two-out RBI single by Luna in the second inning.
The Spikes were off July 10 in preparation for a six-game homestand against the Vermont Lake Monsters and Tri-City ValleyCats.
Thomas Leffler is a senior broadcast journalism major at Penn State University. He is completing a summer internship with The Centre County Gazette and Town&Gown magazine.
