After the record-setting crowd at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park had filed out, the State College Spikes still remained.
The whole squad took the field after the Spikes' 5-3 loss to the Williamsport Crosscutters in the team's home finale Sunday night that eliminated State College from playoff contention. The Spikes (34-35) first jogged in right field and then started fielding practice with manager Gary Robinson among those hitting to the rest of the fielders.
"It's for our own good," Spikes pitcher Tyler Cox said. "Extra reps are always a good thing. I think that lets us know that the season's not over until the last pitch of the season's made. So I think it was a good thing to keep us focused."
Cox, Sunday's starter, stood behind home plate taking throws from the fielders with the rest of the pitchers.
Cox (8-3) was the pitcher who suffered Sunday night, as his defense committed four errors around him -- the seventh time the Spikes committed four errors in a game this season. The Crosscutters (38-31) took advantage , touching up Cox for four runs in six innings with only one of those runs earned.
Possibly the worst mistake State College made Sunday night in front of 5,757 fans -- the largest crowd in the park's history -- wasn't an error, but rather a miscommunication.
Williamsport third baseman Anthony Hewitt hit a fly ball to left center field that left fielder Edward Garcia and center fielder Evan Chambers both went for. Unfortunately for the Spikes, neither came up with it.
Instead, the two collided with each other as the ball skipped behind them into the nook. Garcia tried to recover, but by the time the throw hit the cut-off man, Hewitt was strolling home with an inside-the-park home run.
"A communication problem," Robinson said. "We had a strong wind, Chambers called the ball a little bit late. I mean he had to run a long way, the ball looked like it was hit to left field."
Meanwhile, the Spikes once again had problems capitalizing on offensive opportunities, leaving 10 men on base.
"We just have to be a little more competitive with runners in scoring position," Robinson said. "We need to find holes."
