The State College Spikes scored seven runs and lost Monday night because they couldn't hold a two-run lead in the ninth inning.
The Spikes had seven runs through the sixth inning Tuesday, and the ninth inning didn't prove to be a problem. That's because the State College pitching shutdown the Batavia Muckdogs (36-35) en route to a 7-0 Spikes win at Batavia.
"It definitely helped our confidence," Spikes catcher Craig Parry said. "We wanted to end this series with Batavia with a win. Hopefully we can carry this win over to Williamsport and have a solid series there."
The Spikes (35-36) got a lift offensively from two hitters, one expected and one possibly unexpected. Team MVP Brock Holt continued swinging a hot bat. The Spikes infielder went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, bringing his batting average up to .292
His first hit was a leadoff single that started a two-run top of the first inning for the Spikes against Batavia starter Joe Kelly (2-3). Holt later scored on a two-run throwing error charged against Batavia shortstop Ryan Jackson on a ball hit by Spikes first baseman Aaron Baker.
Meanwhile, the unexpected offense came from Parry, who went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. His first hit was an RBI double in the second inning that gave State College a 3-0 lead, while his other hit was a two-run double that sparked a three-run sixth inning.
"I was just trying to relax and see the ball early," Parry said. "The main thing was to not try to do too much at the plate."
The offensive support made things a lot easier for Spikes pitcher Jeffrey Inman. The 12th round pick of the 2009 Draft -- who had just been assigned to State College earlier in the day -- started in his professional debut and threw two shutout innings before handing things over to Jason Erickson (3-2).
Erickson picked right up where Inman left off, pitching four innings of shutout baseball, allowing just one hit while striking out four and walking none.
Another 2009 Draft choice -- fifth rounder Nathan Baker -- pitched two scoreless innings of one-hit ball before Mike Williams pitched the ninth to finish off the win.
"They came out strong," Parry said of the Spikes' pitching staff. "They made quality pitches all night, allowed our defense to make plays, kept us in the game."
The win moves State College back to one game under .500, and still keeps alive the possibility of finishing with a winning record with five games left on the year.
