When the Auburn Doubledays loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the tenth inning, the State College Spikes felt the momentum shifting.
After battling back and forth with the Doubledays, the Spikes turned to reliever Alan Knotts to try and give the offense a boost. Knotts was able to work himself out of the jam by striking out the next two batters.
Knotts (3-1) gave the Spikes three crucial innings of work and was able to shut down the Doubledays offense.
Behind three runs in the top of the eleventh inning, the visiting Spikes were able to regain the momentum and complete the two-game sweep of the Doubledays. The Spikes (19-20) continued their offensive explosion as they exploited five Doubledays (15-24) pitchers on their way to a 7-4 victory.
"We were able to come in here and battle," designated hitter David Rubinstein said. "We didn't give up and the pitching stepped up and we stole one from them tonight. This was a big win for us."
Rubinstein was a key contributor to the success of the Spikes' offense. Rubinstein went 3-for-6 with a single, double and solo homerun. His RBI double in the top of the 11th inning was part of a three-run Spikes frame that was the difference in the game.
The Spikes have now recorded 24 hits in their last two games. For a team that had struggled offensively, Rubinstein said the time at home helped him improve his swing before the four-game road trip began.
"I was feeling pretty good tonight," Rubinstein said. "I have been working on just keeping my swing short and easy and tonight on both the home run and the double the ball wasjust left up in the zone. I got the barrel on it and I just didn't miss it."
Carlos Silva added an RBI double, his fourth in two nights. Silva and the rest of the Spikes offense was aided by solid pitching.
Starting pitcher Jason Erickson went four innings while surrendering just one earned run. While Erickson kept his team in the game, Ricardo Paulino then entered and gave up two homeruns. The two runs Paulino surrendered tied the game at four heading into the eighth inning.
When Knotts entered in the ninth inning Rubinstein said he could tell that Knotts had his pitches working. The right hander only yielded one hit in his three innings of work and was able to notch five strikeouts.
The effort the Spikes put forth was also good enough to earn them their 19th win of the season, one more than they earned in all of their 2008 campaign.
