WILLIAMSPORT -- In a game that saw no hits until the seventh inning, two muffed groundballs turned out to be extra crucial.
Both State College middle infielders committed costly errors on back-to-back ground balls in the bottom of the seventh, and the Williamsport Crosscutters blanked the Spikes 1-0 Thursday night at Historic Bowman Field. Both teams tallied just two hits apiece in the pitcher's duel.
"It was a well pitched game by both clubs," State College manager Gary Robinson said. "It's just a hell of a game to have to lose. We just won a game 1-0 [Sunday] and you know that type of feeling. Dog gone it, our guys pitched well. They just pitched a little better."
After Williamsport catcher Jeff Lanning led off the seventh frame with a walk and was sacrificed to second base, State College (20-20) shortstop Gift Ngoepe uncharacteristically booted a ball that allowed Lanning to reach third. He would score when second baseman Walker Gourley misplayed another groundball the very next at-bat.
"The leadoff walk, it just put is in a situation to have bad stuff happen," Spikes pitcher Mitch Fienemann said. "You throw things up to the tide and bad things happen and you're down one run."
At that point in the contest, the Cutters (24-16) had yet to notch a hit. They would break up the Spikes' no-hitter with two hits in the eighth.
The two seventh inning errors proved costly to the Spikes, as they couldn't even manage a base runner in the eighth or ninth frames.
The first hit in the game for either team didn't come until the top of the seventh, when State College left fielder Pat Irvine hit a two-out line drive single to center field. Designated hitter Cole White followed it up with an infield single, but that would be it in terms of hits for the Spikes.
"There weren't too many balls hit hard by either club until the seventh," Robinson said. "I can think of two balls that we hit halfway hard in the first six innings. And I can think of two and questionably a third that they hit hard in the first six."
Zac Fuesser started the game for State College. The left-hander threw the first four no-hit innings, striking out four but also walking four. Fienemann relieved Fuesser in the fifth and threw three more innings of no-hit baseball. Fienemann was tagged with the loss, though, despite his solid performance. Jhonathan Ramos pitched the final inning, giving up both Williamsport base knocks.
Mario Hollands threw five innings of no-hit ball for the Cutters, striking out five and walking two. Bradley Blanks earned the win after throwing two shutout innings before Chase Johnson hurled the eighth and ninth for his 10th save.
Though Thursday night's loss was a difficult one for the Spikes, they hope to salvage the third and final game of their series with the rival Crosscutters at 7:05 tonight at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
"It is a little bit mentally tough, but I guess what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," Fienemann said. "Let's beat 'em tomorrow night."
