The venue may have been different, but the State College Spikes home-opener yielded the same outcome as their season-opener.
In front of Saturday night's record-crowd of 5,775 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, the Spikes (0-2) struggled to get timely hits and lost to the Williamsport Crosscutters, 5-3, the same score as Friday night's game.
Though out-hit by Williamsport 14-6, the Spikes remained competitive throughout. The game was tied up until the seventh inning when Williamsport secondbaseman Cesar Hernandez doubled home a run to give the Crosscutters (2-0) a 4-3 lead. They added one more run off four hits in the eighth to make it 5-3.
The Spikes squandered an opportunity for a big inning in the second frame. A lead-off walk, a single, and an error gave State College the bases loaded and no outs. However, the Spikes only managed to get one run as the next three hitters failed to hit the ball out of the infield. A timely hit could have broken the game open.
"I think we've got a lot of adrenaline going, overswinging a little bit, not staying controlled through the zone," Spikes manager Gary Robinson said.
Zack Dodson started on the mound for the Spikes and pitched four solid innings, giving up just two earned runs and three hits. Dodson, just 19-years old, impressed his manager in his first professional start.
"I think he battled his rear end off," Robinson said. "He's going to be a good one, I can tell you that. He's a good make up guy for me. I thought he handled himself, and handled his first start under the lights very well."
Dodson was relieved by Mitch Fienemann, who gave up nine hits and three earned runs in 3.1 innings and was the pitcher of record for the Spikes.
Robinson said he would like to see his pitchers close out innings better. In the fifth inning, for example, Fienemann retired the first two Crosscutters but then gave up a single to Hernandez, who then stole second. Centerfielder Miguel Alvarez singled him home the next batter.
Even though the Spikes remain winless after two games, Robinson isn't worried.
"With the youth of the club, we have to be patient," he said. "We're just looking to get in a rythym and get on a roll. That's what we need to do."
