It's been a week and the State College Spikes, yet again, have not gained nor lost any ground in the standings and are again a .500 team.

After playing three games against a non-conference team, the Spikes had a chance to move up in their division when the Auburn Doubledays came to town. With the rubber match of the series on the line and the chance to be 2.5 games out of first, State College gutted out a 3-2 win.

"These guys want to win this division," Spikes manager Turner Ward said. "They are making comments. They have half a season under their belts, and its going to come down to defense and pitching the rest of the way out."

The first couple innings were like most Spikes games. The game moved fast, the team's pitching was solid but the offense was nowhere to be found. The fans welcomed a new pitcher, Jake Cuffman, who is rehabbing from the Hickory Crawdads.

He only pitched three innings but this was the longest outing of the season for Cuffman. He did not allow a run on two hits and struck out two batters.

"This is my first chance to get a look at Jake Cuffman," Ward said. "From what I've seen, he's got good movement and he's got a great slider. He just needs confidence. He came off that mound today with some great confidence."

It was the Doubledays who struck first, scoring one run in the top of the fifth. They almost scored another run that same inning, but Luis Sanchez, the Auburn shortstop, missed the plate as he came home. This allowed catcher Nick Stillwagon to tag him out on a direct throw from right fielder Austin McClune.

The Spikes found their offense in the bottom of the sixth. After a groundout to the pitcher, first baseman Justin Byler began a string of four-straight hits by the team.

With runners on second and third, second baseman Matt Cavagnaro stepped up and launched the first pitch he saw for a bases-clearing double to left field. This became the Spikes Play of the Game. Leftfielder Marcus Davis then brought home Cavagnaro, closing out the scoring in the sixth.

The Doubledays struck again in the top of the eighth. After a single by their catcher C.J. Ebarb brought in one run, the runner on third decided to try for home. Stillwagon tagged him easily, standing strong while the runner tried to barrel through him on his way to the plate.

Despite Davis' RBI, which ended up being the winning run, he struck out in his other three at bats. McClune had another great night at the plate and in the field. He went three-for-three and had three assists, one at second, one at third and one at the plate.

"You just don't see that," Ward said. "I don't think I've ever seen an outfielder throw out three in one game. That was huge. That was the game."

As for its bullpen, State College had to use five pitchers last night to defeat Auburn. Only two of the five allowed runs, as Adam Simon and Ron Uviedo pitched well in the last two innings.

The Spikes will be begin a two three-game series against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers tonight.