Spikes Shutout by Vermont

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Jake Dahlberg yielded just one run over seven-plus innings on the mound for the State College Spikes, but the Vermont Lake Monsters held the Spikes to just two hits on the night en route to taking a 3-0 decision on Wednesday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

(Photo courtesy of State College Spikes)

Dahlberg (0-2) scattered ten hits over seven frames and struck out seven batters to set a new personal high. The lefty also elicited three double plays, a Spikes (10-15) season high.

Vermont (13-12) pitching was equal to the task, though. Starter Gus Varland yielded just one hit, a second-inning single from Justin Toerner, and struck out two batters. Varland then handed the reins to Jhenderson Hurtado (2-2), who earned the win with 4 2/3 innings of one-hit ball. Hurtado struck out five batters and hit one in the effort.

Brandon Withers (1) then pitched a perfect 1 1/3 innings for the save.

Brandon Benson, who returned to the Spikes on Wednesday after spending 11 games with the Gulf Coast League Cardinals as he recovered from an offseason injury, collected the other hit for the Spikes. Benson singled off Hurtado in the fifth and stole a base.

The Lake Monsters took the lead in the fifth after Jonah Bride led off the inning with a double and scored on Jose Rivas’s single to center field. Vermont added a pair of runs in the ninth when Noah Vaughn singled in Rivas and Devin Foyle.

Rivas, along with Marcos Brito and the unrelated Alfonso Rivas, each collected three hits for the Lake Monsters.

The matchup was the Spikes’ first of the season outside of the New York-Penn League’s Pinckney Division.

Thursday, the Spikes and Lake Monsters meet in the middle game of their three-game series at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch. State College will have left-hander Diego Cordero, who joined the club on Tuesday, on the mound for his first appearance with the Spikes. Vermont is slated to send right-hander Rafael Kelly (1-3) to the hill.