STATE COLLEGE - The State College Spikes put together a brief rally in the seventh thanks to Matt Skirving and Gift Ngoepe, but the Brooklyn Cyclones were able to build up a lead and hang on to it for a 6-2 win over the Spikes at MCU Park on Thursday night.
After going down 6-0 after six, State College (11-9) found life in the seventh when Andy Vasquez reached on a fielder's choice and took second on an error. Vasquez then made an alert play, taking third base on a groundout by Kelson Brown, setting up Skirving's RBI single to put the Spikes on the board. Ngeope then hit a hard bouncer off of Brooklyn (11-9) first baseman Jeff Flagg's glove to score Skirving. However, the Spikes' rally ended one batter later.
Ngoepe and Skirving also put together multi-hit performances for the Spikes along with their seventh-inning RBIs.
Brooklyn was able to take the lead piece by piece, with no more than two runs in any innings. The two-run frame came off of the bat of Juan Centeno, whose home run to right field in the second extended the Cyclones lead to 3-0.
State College starter Tyler Waldron (0-1) matched his career high as well as a Spikes season high for a starter with five innings of work, but took the loss for his first professional decision. Waldron allowed five runs on ten hits while striking out six, matching another season high for a Spikes starter.
Mitch Houck (3-0) started for the Cyclones and was able to silence the State College bats most of the evening, allowing only the two seventh-inning runs in six-and-two-thirds innings of work and striking out eight. Houck also allowed six hits and a walk.
Darrell Ceciliani and Joe Bonfe each collected three hits for the Spikes, and Centeno ended up with RBI on the game.
Friday, the Spikes and Cyclones meet for the second game of their three-game series at MCU Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., with right-hander Zack Von Rosenberg (0-3) slated to go for State College. Von Rosenberg is in search of his first professional victory. Brooklyn will send right-hander Yohan Almonte (2-2) to the mound.
