LOWELL, Mass. - Lowell's Jeff Natale propelled the Spinners to a 3-2 victory over the State College Spikes with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
After completing only 4 innings before Tuesday's game was suspended due to rain, the Spikes and Spinners resumed the game Wednesday night prior to their regularly scheduled contest.
Following an hour and five minute rain delay, the two teams finally tookthe field to complete the first game of the series. The two teams resumed with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning with the score tied at
2-2.
The Spinners (16-18) scored first when Ricardo Burgos lead off the second inning with a home run.
State College (8-25) responded with a run of their own when Butch Biela poked a RBI-single through the hole at shortstop to score Silvio Pena. The Spikes added a run in the fourth inning when Ciro Rosero scored on a sacrifice fly by Chad Rice. Rosero doubled to left field to lead off the inning.
Lowell added a run to tie the game, just before the players were pulled off the field and the game was eventually suspended.
Wilson Ortiz took the mound for State College Wednesday, when the game was continued. The right-hander pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out five.
The Spinners broke the tie in the seventh inning when Mitch Dening scored on a Natale double.
The Spikes again tied the game in the top of the ninth inning as Rice scored on Pena's single up the middle.
Owen Brolsma (0-1) came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and gave up a walk-off home run over the left field fence. Brolsma walked away with the loss for the Spikes, his first of the season.
Hunter Strickland (2-2) earned the win for the Spinners, pitching all four innings played on Wednesday. The righty allowed only one run on three hits while striking out four Spikes hitters.
Mike Williams made his first appearance since June 27, pitching the eighth inning. The lefty allowed only one hit in the inning and struck out two.
Cole White extended his hitting streak to 17 games, one game shy of the Spikes' franchise record.
Game two was suspended in the fifth inning because of rain and will be finished beginning at 6:05 p.m. The regularly scheduled game will be shortened to seven innings.
