Mahoning Valley Scrappers Blank State College Spikes 4-0 - A, New York-Penn League

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MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - The State College Spikes dropped the first game of a six-game road trip to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers 4-0 at Eastwood Field.  

Two big hits were the undoing for the Spikes as Tony Watson (6-1) lost for the first time as a professional.  The big hit Watson surrendered was a two-run home run to Nick Petrucci to give the Scrappers the advantage.  Watson left after 5.0 innings of work, giving up six hits, and striking out four.  

Brian Tracy came in to relieve Watson and pitched a scoreless sixth frame, before getting into two-out trouble in the seventh.  A walk to Adam White, and a single by Mark Thompson put runners on first and second.  Jansy Infante doubled the pair home to put the Scrappers (19-20) up 4-0.  

The Spikes (19-20) were shut down by the brilliant pitching of southpaw Heath Taylor (1-2), the Cleveland Indians’ 10th round draft pick this year.  Taylor went 5.2 innings, striking two while scattering just five hits.  The only time the Spikes threatened in the game was with two outs in the sixth inning.  After a two-out walk to Justin Byler, Miles Durham hit a book-rule double to right-center field.  That hit knocked Taylor out of the game, but reliever Kyle Collina was able to get Andrew Walker to ground out to third to end the threat.  

The only other opportunity for the Spikes came in the top of the ninth inning off of closer Kyle Lanis.  When Walker reached on a wild pitch after striking out to start the inning, and an infield single by Marcus Davis put runners on first and second.  Landis, however, got the next three Spikes to record his fifth save of the year.