WILLIAMSPORT - Willy Garcia collected a pair of hits and Ryan Hafner started the game with four fine innings of work, but the State College Spikes fell to the Williamsport Crosscutters in their final regular season game of 2011, 5-2, on Sunday afternoon at Historic Bowman Field.
Hafner yielded two runs in the first two innings, with Kyrell Hudson scoring the first run of the game for Williamsport (43-33) by swiping home plate on a double steal in the first inning. Brock Stassi then crossed the plate with an unearned run on an error in the second inning to make it 2-0, Crosscutters.
State College (31-44) took advantage of a couple of Williamsport mistakes to tie the game, though. Dan Gamache reached base with a two-out single, and after Garcia singled to right, Pete Lavin's throw to third went awry to allow Gamache to score. Pitcher Paul Cusick then erred on another throw on the same play, allowing Garcia to cross the plate.
The Crosscutters had the final word in the game, however, with Kyrell Hudson leading off the sixth inning by doubling to right field. Harold Martinez followed three batters later with an RBI single to score pinch-runner Luis Amaro, and Brock Stassi produced another RBI single which, along with an error, scored the final two runs of the game.
The game was shortened to eight innings due to a thunderstorm that swept across the Williamsport area just before the ninth inning was set to begin.
Both teams had their difficulties in the field during the game, as well. State College committed four errors while Williamsport was guilty of six, the most for any Spikes opponent in 2011.
Jordan Cooper (1-4) took the loss for State College, allowing three runs, two of them earned, on three hits and a walk. Cooper also struck out two batters in the effort.
Jesus Pirela (3-0) picked up the win for the Crosscutters in relief, going 1 2/3 shutout innings and giving up one walk while hitting a batter. Pirela also struck out one. Juary Gomez (10) picked up the save with a scoreless eighth inning, walking one batter.
Hudson went 2-for-3 with a pair of stolen bases for Williamsport, helping the Crosscutters to clinch the 2011 SawBuck Series victory by a margin of 7 games to 5.
