8/27 – State College 8 Williamsport 3

	August 27, 2007
	Final    1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9      R   H   E   State College   1   1   3   0   1   2   0   0   0      8   13   2   Williamsport   0   2   0   0   1   0   0   0   0      3   12   2  wrap | box | log W: B. Williams (1-1, 2.55); L: T. Brummett (3-5, 3.59); SV: T. Boleska (1) HR: STC: J. Byler (7).

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Spikes make two roster moves

Ricky Diaz gets moved to Lynchburg and Ron Uviedo to Hickory.  For Uviedo it was a promotion while the Diaz move was probably just an attempt to get him some playing time (he’s had all of nine at bats all season).  Since Dan Moskos is obviously not ready to take over the closer’s role, look for Adam Simon to fill that role.

Not cutting it

By Guy Cipriano – gciprian@centredaily.com 

UNIVERSITY PARK — Forget catching Pinckney Division heavyweight Auburn or even second-place Mahoning Valley.

The State College Spikes are stuck in third place in a division that has lost its parity for a sixth straight season.

A once promising August — the Spikes were two games above .500 with realistic playoff hopes one week ago — has took a hairpin turn.

The Spikes committed a season-high four errors, including two in the first inning, during a 9-5 loss to Williamsport before 5,289 Sunday at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

The loss places the Spikes (30-33) in multiple undesirable positions.

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U.S. Marine Corp Sgt. D.J. Emery, who was a former baseball star at Bellefonte High School and was severely injured in Iraq, waves to the crowd after throwing out a first pitch before the State College Spikes game against the Williamsport Crosscutters during Military Appreciation Night on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2007.

8/27 – Spikes Game Notes

State College Spikes at Williamsport Crosscutters 

Game #64 / Road Game # 34

Historic Bowman Field – Williamsport, PA

RHP Brandon Williams ( 0-1, 2.08) vs. RHP Tyson Brummett (3-4, 3.09)

WHAT’S ON TAP TONIGHT/ON DECK TOMORROW:: The Spikes will wrap up the SawBuck season series tonight at Historic Bowman Field. With a loss tonight, the Spikes would drop the 2007 SawBuck Series, assuring that Spikes General Manager Rick Janac will serve as a Williamsport bat boy at Historic Bowman Field during the first Spikes-Crosscutters game. Tomorrow, the Spikes return back home to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park to take on the Batavia Muckdogs in a pivotal two-game series against former Manager Mark DeJohn and coach Mike Shildt. Tomorrow, Spikes Jersey Bags will be given away to the first 2,000 fans through the gates, while fans can enjoy a fireworks show following the game.

SPIKES STARTER: RHP BRANDON WILLIAMS will make just his third start of the year for the State College Spikes. Williams has taken the spot in the Spikes rotation of RHP Duke Welker, who was placed on the disabled list last week. Williams, who has been used primarily as a long reliever for the Spikes checks in with a 0-1 record and an ERA of 2.08. Brandon has worked 30.1 innings this year while issuing 30 hits. The righty from Tega Cuy, South Carolina has punched out 20 and walked 10, while opposing batters are hitting just .269 off Williams. Originally selected by the Pirates in the 29th round of last year’s draft, Williams holds the distinction of being the first player to ever don a uniform for both the State College Spikes and their sister organization, the Altoona Curve (AA – Pirates). Williams made two relief appearances for the Curve on July 4 at Trenton (1.1 IP, 5H, 3ER, 1K) and at Bowie on July 7 (2.0 IP, 1H, 1ER, 1K). Aside from tonight, Williams has faced the Crosscutters once before this season when he made an August 16 relief appearance, pitching 4.1 innings, giving up two runs on four hits, while striking out a season-high five, and walking a season-high three.

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Williams was truly a diamond in the rough

UNIVERSITY PARK–This one is about a pitcher told to find other ways to spend his time. It could be about any young athlete.

Brandon Williams will start for the State College Spikes tonight at Williamsport. The start will be his fifth as a professional.

Williams is too mature to hold grudges.

But somewhere, he has to be smirking.

If Williams pitches well tonight, he could equal the number of innings he tossed his entire high school career.

Williams made two varsity appearances at Fort Mill (S.C.) High School. He threw just seven innings.

He wanted to pitch more.

But Williams didn’t make the varsity team until his senior year.

He was cut as a freshman. He played junior varsity as a sophomore. He was cut again as a junior, although he volunteered to serve as Fort Mill’s manager.

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Crosscutters’ five-run first inning dooms Spikes

Jon Blau
Collegian Staff Writer
As the game sat at a tie in the fifth inning with the ball in catcher Nick Stillwagon’s hand, the State College Spikes had already dug themselves out of a five-run, first-inning hole.
Spikes second baseman Matt Cavagnaro had driven in two runs on a clutch double in the fourth, but was gunned down at third attempting to the steal the base, ending the threat. Stillwagon had an opportunity to return the favor in the fifth, eyeing a similar throw-out of Williamsport’s Matt Spencer at third.

The ball sailed wide of State College third baseman Bobby Spain, and the game also got away from the Spikes. With a total of four errors, the Spikes (30-33) dropped a sloppy 9-5 decision to the Crosscutters.

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Spikes’ pitcher Yoffri Martinez attempts to tag a Williamsport runner at home plate in a 9-5 loss last night.