GRANVILLE, W. Va. – Ronnie Williams delivered seven strong innings on the mound, and Ryan McCarvel smashed the State College Spikes’ first home run of the year as the Spikes extended their winning streak to four games with a 5-2 victory over the West Virginia Black Bears on Saturday night at Monongalia County Ballpark.
Williams (1-1) yielded just one unearned run on five hits and two walks over seven innings of work for the win. The right-hander, who was rated the 20th-best prospect in the Cardinals system by MLBPipeline.com before the New York-Penn League season, also recorded four strikeouts. Williams threw 99 pitches, 63 of them for strikes, in the effort.
The Spikes (6-3) took advantage of a pair of West Virginia (6-3) miscues to take the lead in the second. After Black Bears starter Ryan Anderson (0-1) was forced to leave the game with a right index finger issue in the second, reliever Cristian Mota balked two runners home in the frame. Tommy Edman also contributed an RBI single during the inning to give State College a 3-1 lead.
Edman then doubled in another run in the fourth as part of a three-hit night before McCarvel hit a solo shot off the scoreboard in left-center field in the fifth to crack the Spikes into the home run column.
McCarvel and Ricardo Bautista also added doubles for the Spikes. Bautista also threw out a runner at home for the second time this season in the seventh inning.
Brady Bowen finished the game for the Spikes, allowing one run on two hits while notching four strikeouts over two innings.
With the win, the Spikes jump back into a tie atop the NYPL Pinckney Division nine games into the season.
West Virginia plated its first run in the opening frame on a Spikes error, and scored another in the eighth on an RBI single by Jordan George. Ty Moore collected three hits on the night, while 2016 first-round draft choice Will Craig went 0-for-3 with a walk.
Anderson took the loss despite his early exit after both runners he left on base scored in the second. The right-hander threw just 26 pitches before leaving, and was charged with two runs on one hit and two walks. Anderson also struck out three batters in his brief outing.
Sunday, the Spikes look to continue their winning ways with a 4:05 p.m. matinee matchup against the Black Bears at Monongalia County Ballpark. The middle game of a three-game series features State College right-hander Bryan Dobzanski (0-1) against West Virginia right-hander Luis Escobar (0-0).
Following the road trip, the Spikes will return home on Tuesday, June 28 for a six-game homestand at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, starting with $2 Walking Taco Tuesday, presented by B94.5, along with Bellies and Baseball Night, presented by Pregnancy Resource Clinic.
The fun continues with the debut of Half-Craft Wednesday presented by 93.7 The BUS with half-price craft beers from 6-8 p.m. on June 29, and then the first Bark in the Park Night of the year, presented by Metzger Animal Hospital and NEWSRADIO 1390 WRSC, along with $1 Beer Thursday, presented by BIG Froggy 101 on Thursday, June 30.
Fullington Bus Company presents the action on Friday, July 1, when the first 1,000 fans will receive a Team Poster Giveaway, and all fans can participate in a Team Autograph Session with the players from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. Then on Saturday, July 2, the first 1,000 fans will receive a Cowboy Monkey Rodeo Poster Giveaway, presented by Boyles Insurance, in preparation for the return of the Cowboy Monkey Rodeo on July 16.
The homestand then finishes with a bang on Sunday, July 3 as David “The Bullet” Smith, Jr. brings his record-breaking Human Cannonball act to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Best Line Powersports, home of the new Indian Motorcycle of State College, presents this one-of-a-kind event, with a post-game “Blast-Off.” The night will also be capped off with the launch of a fantastic FIREWORKS show, presented by the PA Lottery.
Game times will be 7:05 p.m. for all nights except Sunday, July 3, when it will be a 6:05 p.m. start.
Tickets to these games, as well as every game remaining on the Spikes’ 2016 home schedule, are currently on sale through the Spikes Box Office by calling (814) 272-1711 or by visiting in person. Fans can also buy and download single-game tickets by visiting StateCollegeSpikes.com.
Catch all of the action on Sunday via the Spikes Radio Network, presented by Penn State Health, at 3:50 p.m. with Spikes Live, presented by Mount Nittany Health, on the air from Monongalia County Ballpark. The Spikes’ radio broadcast can also be heard worldwide through the “Listen Live” link on StateCollegeSpikes.com, provided by the club’s flagship radio home, Newsradio 1390 WRSC, as well as the TuneIn Radio app.
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