From staff reports
BATAVIA, NY The State College Spikes got an array of great defensive plays and Matt Skirving's eighth double of the year, but the Batavia Muckdogs came from behind to defeat the Spikes, 4-3, in the bottom of the ninth inning for the second time in three nights.
Although Batavia (12-10) scored the first run of the game in the first inning on Roberto Reyes's RBI single, State College (5-17) quickly responded with a pair of hits by Matt Skirving and Chris Lashmet followed by a Jorge Bishop fielder's choice to tie the game in the second. The Spikes then took the lead, 2-1 when Taylor Lewis crossed the plate off of a third-strike wild pitch in the third inning.
The Spikes' defense also got into the act, as Kirk Singer started two lineout double plays from his shortstop position in the early going, and State College got out of a pair of bases-loaded jams in the third and the sixth thanks to a stab by starting pitcher Nick Kingham and a running catch in center field by Lewis.
Batavia tied the game, however, when Reyes stole home in the fifth on a pickoff attempt at first base. State College came right back to retake the lead, 3-2, in the sixth when Skirving delivered his double to right field, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on a wild pitch.
The Spikes maintained that lead into the ninth, when Reyes led off by reaching on State College's fourth error of the game. A wild pitch by Rinku Singh (0-2) sent Reyes to second base, and Jeremy Patton's base hit to right scored him to tie the game. The very next hitter, David Medina, then ended the game with a double to center field that scored Patton to give the Muckdogs the win.
Singh took the loss for State College, allowing both ninth-inning runs (one earned) on a total of two hits and a walk over 2 1/3 innings. The left-hander added a pair of strikeouts. Josh Poytress added three innings of middle relief, yielding one unearned run on two hits while walking three and striking out one.
Adam Bileckyj (2-1) earned the win for Batavia by finishing the game with three shutout innings of relief, giving up just one hit and striking out six.
The Spikes and Muckdogs will begin a new three-game series at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. Left-hander Mike Jefferson (1-1) gets his second start of the year for State College. Jefferson has rebounded from a slow start to allow just one hit and no runs over his last 2 2/3 innings on the mound. Batavia will start left-hander Jonathan Cornelius (1-0).
