State College Spikes shortstop Michael Ambrose may have been a little bit bruised after yesterday's game against the Williamsport Crosscutters, but they are bruises that he will gladly take.

When Matt German's first pitch to Ambrose in the bottom of the 10th inning struck his forearm, Ambrose had not only taken one for the team, but he had driven in the game-winning run by just standing in the batters box.

It was the second consecutive inning in which he was hit by a pitch, only much more satisfying than the first time around.

"It grazed my forearm. This one barely hit me, and it was a curveball," Ambrose said pointing to his left arm. "It definitely felt good knowing that we had won the game because of it."

It seemed unlikely that Ambrose's number would even be called in the bottom of the tenth inning, but German threw eight consecutive balls to load the bases for Ambrose with two outs. German's next pitch, another errant throw, struck Ambrose's arm to bring home the winning run.

Ambrose's game-winning bruise was just the capper to his roller-coaster day. He finished the game going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs, but he also committed two errors, an uncommon occurrence for the Spikes this season.

His first error came in the bottom of the first inning when he fielded a grounder near the edge of the outfield grass and threw low to first base. Ambrose redeemed himself by starting the inning-ending double play during the next at-bat.

His second error came in the third inning, and it proved to be more costly. Ambrose tried to backhand a ball near second base that could have started a double play to end the inning, but
instead it dribbled into the outfield, allowing a run to score.

In the eighth inning, Ambrose made up for his earlier blunders by flashing a little leather. With the score tied at six, Ambrose made a critical over-the-shoulder catch in shallow centerfield to prevent runners from being on first and third with one out.

After the game, Spikes manager Turner Ward was less upset with the two Es next to Ambrose's name in the box score, but more so with the lack of focus during moments of the game.

"There was a situation that happened early in the game, and I don't think they [Ambrose and Matt Cavagnaro] knew there was one out, and they thought there was two outs. They were just trying to get that one out at second base," Ward said.

"That's the kind of thing that I get on the guys about when we are not mentally ready. Physically, every one of us is going to make mistakes out there."

Ambrose did not let his errors bother him at the plate. He led off the bottom of the third inning with a double and would later score. The hit proved to be a catalyst as the Spikes scored their first three runs in the third.

The next inning, Ambrose hit a solo home run to the left field patio area that started a two-run inning to tie the game.

Ambrose said his solid performance at the plate and shaky play in the field is sometimes just a part of the game of baseball.

"You try to separate the two and try to let one not affect the other," he said. "Some days you are hitting and fielding well together, and some days it's just one or the other."