Spikes Return Favor in Victory
Better weather and a better all-around game from the Spikes resulted in a 9-3 rout of the Jammers Thursday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
After getting thrashed by the Jammers on a cold, wet Wednesday night, the Spikes returned the favor in more favorable weather conditions.
“We had a pregame meeting today,” Manager Dave Turgeon said. “I thought this club was at a crossroads. We challenged them to come out today and respond.”
The club accepted the challenge and responded with a good start from Joely Rodriguez, good defense and a ten-hit offensive effort.
“It’s good to see us respond,” Turgeon said. “It’s good to see us get a little bit of swagger back and it all starts on the mound.”
Rodriguez worked five innings and allowed six hits but just two runs scored as he earned his third win of the year.
“He’s been consistent for us and kept us in every game he has started,” Turgeon said.
Walker Gourley led the Spikes offensively with three hits and four runs scored in the big victory.
“It felt really good to come out and return the favor from last night,” Gourley said.
“Top to bottom tonight we really had competitive at-bats as a team and handled our situations well,” Gourley said. “That’s our identity and that’s what we’re trying to do every time we go up there.”
The Spikes jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after one inning. With one out, Gourley singled to center. D.J. Crumlich followed with a double to deep left to bring Gourley around to score the first run of the game.
After Jacob Stallings’ groundout moved Crumlich to third, Jammers third basemen Matt Juengel couldn’t make the play on a grounder hit by Chris Diaz allowing Crumlich to score, giving the Spikes a 2-0 lead.
“Any time you get on the board first and grab a little momentum and throw another zero up, it’s always great,” Turgeon said.
Gourley added, “We were able to start some momentum in the first inning and get a couple of early runs for Joely.”
But the Spikes weren’t done there and they would not look back.
State College extended its lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the third inning while sending the entire nine-man lineup to the plate.
Tyler Gaffney got the inning started with a single to left and Gourley followed with a double to left. Crumlich drove in his second run of the game on a groundout.
After Stallings walked, Diaz laid down a perfectly executed safety squeeze bunt that stayed in play landing right on the first base foul line as Gourley raced in to score.
“It was awesome to just see it sit on the line there,” Diaz said.
Jesus Vasquez followed with a single to left to load the bases and set the table for Samuel Gonzalez to single to left and bring in Stallings and Diaz to score.
The Jammers got on the board with two runs in the fourth inning. Michael Main led the inning off with a double down the left field line. Cody Keefer’s second hit of the ballgame brought Main in to score the first Jammers run of the game. Viosergy Rosa’s double to deep center brought Keefer in to make the score 6-2.
The Spikes responded to the Jammers two runs with two of their own in the fourth. Gourley reached on his third hit of the game and Stallings tripled to right center to bring him in to score for the third time in the game. Stallings then came in on a passed ball to extend the Spikes lead to 8-2.
The Spikes added one run to make it 9-2 after six. Gourley led the inning off by reaching second on a throwing error. Crumlich followed with an infield single. Diaz then drove in Gourley on a fielder’s choice for his second RBI of the game and the Spikes ninth run of the game.
The Jammers tried to rally in the ninth after Jesus Solorzano led the inning off with a double and Rosa singled to bring him around to score. But that would be all the Jammers would get as the game ended 9-3.
“They’ve never not responded, this team,” Turgeon said. “They show that they’re a resilient group.”
The Spikes will need that kind of response and resiliency the rest of the season as the divisional race heats up.
It begins tomorrow when the Spikes take on the division leading Auburn Doubledays at 7:05 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Listen to all Spikes home games live at psucomradio.com.
Ryan Mellon is a senior majoring in Print Journalism. To contact him, e-mail rcm5159@psu.edu.
