STATE COLLEGE - Wes Freeman became the sixth State College Spikes to smash two home runs in a single game with a pair of solo bombs, but the Spikes fell to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, 10-3, on Friday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Freeman became the sixth Spikes (10-25) player in as many years to have a pair of homers in the same game, joining Matt Curry, Kyle Morgan, Andy Vasquez, Justin Byler and Mark Hamilton. The slugging right fielder sent his first long ball over the left-center field wall in the fifth inning, then followed with another solo shot that traveled far over the left field wall to lead off the ninth inning.
Mahoning Valley (20-15) took an early lead against State College starter Stetson Allie (0-1), though, and did not let up the rest of the way. The Scrappers scored in each of the first three innings, notching three runs in both the second and third innings against Allie and reliever Orlando Castro. Two more runs in the fifth and a final marker in the eighth complete the Mahoning Valley scoring.
State College was able to pick up its first run in the second inning, when Alex Dickerson led off with a triple and scored on Justin Bencsko's grounder to second.
Samuel Gonzalez singled in the fourth inning, then doubled in the eighth, to extend his home hitting streak to 12 games, the longest in Spikes history.
Allie was tagged with his first professional loss after allowing four runs on three hits and a pair of walks. The right-hander also hit three batters in the game and struck out one.
Mason Radeke (2-0) picked up his second professional win, with both of them coming against the Spikes. Radeke yielded two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out two and allowing the first of Freeman's two home runs.
Saturday, the Spikes start a three-game series against the Brooklyn Cylcones (New York Mets) with a 7:05 p.m. matchup. State College will send right-hander Ryan Hafner (1-1) to the hill, while Brooklyn will respond with right-hander Marcos Camarena (1-3) on the mound.
