August 7th Game Recap

 

MEDIA RELEASE 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 7, 2007

Contact: Jon Shestakofsky (978-805-5117 / jshesta@lowellspinners.com)

 

Spinners Spiked at State College

Lowell loses fourth straight, 12-2

 

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – The State College Spikes hit back-to-back-to-back homeruns in the fourth inning and scored five runs in the sixth inning to defeat the Lowell Spinners on Tuesday night, 12-2. For the Spinners, it was their fourth loss in a row, a season-high, and their seventh loss in nine games. Division leader Vermont also lost, keeping Lowell just three games back in the Stedler Division.

 

State College (23-24) jumped ahead early, scoring a run in the bottom of the first inning on a sacrifice fly. The Spikes increased their lead to two with a solo homerun by left fielder Marcus Davis.

 

The Spikes accomplished a rare feat in the bottom of the fourth inning when the first three batters of the inning all hit first-pitch homers off Spinners starter Miguel Socolovich (1-3). State College tacked on two more in the bottom of the fifth on two RBI singles, and then added another five runs in the sixth inning on the strength of three hits, two walks and two wild pitches against Spinners reliever Eammon Portice.

 

Lowell (25-22) finally got on the board in the top of the seventh when Kade Keowen doubled to lead off the inning, advanced to third on a single by Mike Jones and scored on a single by Pedro Vasquez. The Spinners completed the scoring in the top of the ninth on an RBI double by Ty Weeden to score Vasquez, who had reached on a walk.

 

Socolovich was hit hard tonight, allowing seven earned runs on nine hits in four and two-thirds of an inning. He struck out four and allowed four total home runs. Portice was not much better, giving up five runs on four hits in an inning and a third. He walked two and threw three wild pitchers before giving way to Willy Mota, tossing two scoreless innings of relief to finish the game. Mota has not been scored upon in five of his last six outings. 

 

Lowell’s offense scraped together six hits, and the Spinners have scored just 13 combined runs in their last four games. Mike Jones had the lone multi-hit game, collecting two more hits to extend his consecutive on-base streak away from LeLacheur Park to 18 games. Weeden, Keowen, Vasquez and David Marks had Lowell’s other hits.

 

Lowell looks to snap this recent skid tomorrow night with No. 1 Draft Pick Nick Hagadone (0-1, 6.14) scheduled to start the game at 7:05 p.m. The left-hander has eight strikeouts in six scoreless innings over his last three outings.

 

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