This is probably the one time you’ll hear the term “one bad inning” and it not relate to anything involving Lance Lynn. Sadly, it does involve the State College Spikes and their quest for the NY-Penn League Championship. Also, if you’re reading context clues correctly, you have probably deduced by now that State College fell 4-3 to Tri-City tonight in the deciding Game Three of the LCS.
State College Spikes (A): Lost 4-3 to Tri-City (Game Three of NYP LCS)
A rough four-run sixth inning for the ValleyCats eventually doomed the Spikes, after State College took a one-run lead in the fourth. A two-run blast in the bottom of the ninth from Mason Katz brought the Spikes within one, but alas, it was not meant to be.
David Washington had a great night at the plate with three hits, but with hardly any runners in front of him, was unable to drive anyone in. Carson Kelly and Michael Schulze scored runs, and Mason Katz was the stud tonight, going 3-4 with that crucial two-run bomb in the ninth. The top three hitters in the order (Steven Ramos, Cesar Valera, and Luke Voit) went a combined 1-12. Not good.
Jimmy Reed started and gave up two runs in five innings. Victor De Leon relieved him and gave up two more runs in the sixth inning. Jeff Rauh pitched a scoreless 2.2 innings (he was pretty good throughout the series), and Mitch Harris closed out the game with a shutout ninth. Unfortunately it was not enough as Reed took the loss, and the ValleyCats took the series.
So though the season ends a bit shorter than we hoped, the Spikes still had the most successful season in team history and certainly showed some great fight with two rallies late in games two and three. So like the title says, keep your heads up, boys, because you had one hell of a season.
As always, PREACH ON, my friends!
