Down by four runs in the ninth inning Wednesday, State College Spikes third baseman Pat Irvine delivered a triple off the left field wall, driving in David Rubenstein and giving the Spikes life.

It would only cut to lead to three, and minutes later the Spikes would be heading back to the clubhouse with a 4-2 defeat to the Batavia Muckdogs. The two-run rally in the ninth was squashed when second baseman Brock Holt hit into a game-ending double play with the tying run on first.

All season, the Spikes hitters have shown toughness in games, refusing to back down in the late innings and never quitting. Wednesday's ninth inning was the latest example.

"We have a sense of urgency in every inning," Spikes manager Gary Robinson said. "These young men don't quit. Anytime you have a chance to win, you've done a pretty good job."

The Spikes (10-10) late-game dramatic came after managing only four hits in eight innings against Batavia (11-9) pitching. Most of the night, the Spikes bats were silent and any hopes for a rally were quickly snuffed.

It wasn't until the eighth inning when State College finally had something to show for its at-bats, loading the bases against Batavia reliever Scott Schneider before he was replaced in the inning by reliever Joseph Kelly.

And while Kelly was able to get out of the inning unscathed, the majority of the Spikes players standing on the dugout's top step seemed to suggest the seeds had been planted for a rally.

"We are a gritty team," pitcher Michael Felix said. "We don't back down for anything. [Kelly] was throwing some fuego gas and we didn't back down. We took some hacks and we got some hits."

While Robinson said the urgency was there throughout the whole game, the past week's box scores indicate something in the Spikes offense turns on in the later innings. Wednesday marked the seventh straight game State College had scored in the seventh inning or later and the third straight home game the Spikes scored in their final inning.

The team's record during that stretch: 5-2.

"That shows the character of this team again that we can battle and we don't give up," designated hitter Justin Byler said. "It's a good quality to have."

The gritty nature of the offense is even visible on the other side of the spectrum, where Spikes starter Maurice Bankston (1-1) battled through six hits to pitch through the seventh inning. And despite giving up three runs, Felix gutted his way through two innings. His effort kept the Spikes within reach heading into the bottom of the ninth inning.

And even though the Spikes fell short Wednesday, Irvine felt the ninth showed a lot about the mental makeup of his teammates.

"I think it says a lot about the character of our team," Irvine said. "The way we just kept battling in the ninth inning, especially after two games where we haven't really scored a lot of runs. We're just going to keep battling and come back tomorrow and hopefully take the series."