The State College Spikes' offense seems to vanish as quickly as it appears.
One night after putting double-digit runs on the scoreboard, the Spikes could only manage three hits, and the pitching was done in by four errors in State College's 4-0 loss to the Aberdeen IronBirds (20-26) at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
"It's very frustrating to come in and get shut out by another team," Spikes infielder Justin Byler said. "Especially after we swung the bats well last night."
State College (23-23) was stymied once again by a starting pitcher for the second time in three nights. This time it was IronBirds starter Jake Cowan (1-2) shutting down the Spikes. Cowan allowed just one hit, one walk and struck out three over five innings.
It wasn't just Cowan the Spikes struggled against. State College managed just two more hits against the final three Aberdeen pitchers despite earning seven walks against the IronBird relief corps.
But when the Spikes had chances to break through, they couldn't. Instead State College was 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 men on base.
"Our mental focus, it just wasn't there," Byler said. "[Cowan] came out and kept us off balance with his pitches, we just weren't able to focus in and do what we needed to do."
But the Spikes were still in the game in the top of the eighth inning until two Spikes errors led to three Aberdeen runs. The inning started with a ball that went right through second baseman Ty Summerlin's legs. Two batters later, Spikes reliever Michael Felix overthrew the man on first after a Buck Britton sacrifice bunt.
Two IronBirds scored on the throwing error and Britton later scored on a sacrifice fly.
"The error I made, I kind of eased it up there," Felix said.
"I felt like I was rushing because first I was going to three, then I had to go back to one and I thought the guy was fast, but I actually had more time."
In the eighth inning, Felix allowed three unearned runs on no hits, and the Spikes had themselves their fifth four-error game of the season.
The errors and lack of offense cost Spikes starter Maurice Bankston (2-4), who pitched six innings of one-run, four-hit ball with four strikeouts and no walks, a chance for a win.
"I felt real good," Bankston said. "Tonight was my best velocity. I was still putting 93 in the sixth, topped out at 94, so I felt pretty good. Everything was fluid, nothing jerky."
Meanwhile Bankston has confidence the offense will show up.
"They'll just come out and get it," Bankston said. "They didn't hit the ball either good, we just didn't play that well tonight. But hitting comes and goes, so this is how the game goes."
