AUBURN - The beginning of the season isn't when a baseball team necessarily wants to get hot anyway. For minor league teams, June is the month to work out the kinks and get into gear for a late season run.
Glenn Gaston / Special to The Citizen
Doubleday third baseman Leance Soto drives a pitch out of the park for a home run during Thursday nights game at Falcon Park.
Doubleday third baseman Leance Soto drives a pitch out of the park for a home run during Thursday nights game at Falcon Park.
That is just what the Auburn Doubledays are finding out in the second week of the season. Starting off a scorching 4-0 was great, but the Doubledays are now realizing that they have flaws just like every other team in the New York-Penn League. Though the game was errorless on both sides, Auburn lost it's third straight game at Falcon Park on Thursday - a 9-4 decision to State College in the first game of the three game series.
“It's a ballgame that we just lost,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said. “We have to stay away from the innings with crooked
numbers and 3's were kind of wild tonight.”
The Spikes put up three runs in the first, sixth and eighth innings. In other five frames, the Doubledays retired the side, with the exception being in the fourth, when one batter was walked. Auburn fanned 16 Spikes overall, proving that the talent is there and that the first week of the season wasn't a fluke.
Castillo Perez made his second start of the season, but earned his first loss. He came out shaky in the first inning, facing eight batters and walking the first two before Butch Biela, Calvin Anderson and Chase d'Arnaud earned consecutive RBIs.
“I don't think Perez was really locked in and ready to pitch the first inning,” Holmberg said. “He made some adjustments after that and settled down a little bit.”
Perez went four full innings, striking out five, including four in the third and fourth. Offensively though, the Doubledays couldn't get much going against Spikes' starter Kyle McPherson, who lasted six innings on the hill. McPherson allowed just four hits, including Leance Soto's first home run of the season - a blast to left center field - in the fifth inning that put the Doubledays on the board.
State College responded with another hat trick in the sixth, off of Dan O'Brien. The Spikes racked up four of their 10 hits in the inning, but defensive mental miscues played a part in the inning as well.
“We gave up six outs in that inning,” Holmberg said. “They scored three runs on plays we didn't make. You've got to make plays.”
Scott Leffler then came in struck out the side in the seventh, but the game seemed to get out of hand in just the next inning when the Spikes totaled three more hits - and runs - in seven at-bats. Leadoff batter Matt Payne snuck in a line drive single up the middle to score two runs with the bases loaded after two consecutive doubles kicked off the inning. Ciro Rosero chipped in with a sacrifice fly out to score Chad Rice.
“The pitching is still good,” Holmberg said. “We had the 16 strikeouts, but we have gotten a little stagnant in the last three games. At the same time, we've had 25 hits in those games and you'd think we'd be 3-0, but wow, we're 0-3.”
The Doubledays offense came alive in the bottom of the inning, when they matched the Spikes run for run. Ryan Kelly - who registered several fastballs over 95 MPH - walked two of the first three batters in the inning before Steve Condotta got his own sac fly to center field to score Chris House. Next, designated hitter David Cooper blasted a two run homer run to right field - his second of the season.
After Doubledays closer Matt Daly struck out the side in the ninth, Kelly walked the first three Doubledays in the bottom of the inning to create the hope of a late game rally. It wasn't to be though, as Leance Soto grounded out into a 5-4-3 double play. Bartolo Nicolas scored on the play, but House struck out swinging in three pitches to end the game.
“We just have to bunch together a few more hits and score more runs per inning,” Holmberg said. “It's still early in the season and we've got a long way to go. I'm not in panic mode, by any means.”
Notes: It's the second straight game where the Doubledays have hit two home runs in a loss. ...Every Spikes batter scored a run or banged one in, but Payne led with two RBIs and one run scored. ...Every State College batter also struck out, but in the No. 4 spot, Calvin Anderson was the only player with the misfortune of striking out against every Doubledays' pitcher once. Perez and Leffler caught him looking. In the Doubledays ninth spot in the lineup, Chris House is quietly playing well, with four hits in the last two games. ...It's the third straight night that Auburn has allowed 10 hits or more. The Doubledays allowed just six in the last game they won - against Mahoning Valley on Monday.
Spikes 9
Doubledays 5
D-days Today
Record: 6-4
Standings: Second place, .5-game behind
Next: vs. State College, 7 p.m.
“It's a ballgame that we just lost,” Doubledays manager Dennis Holmberg said. “We have to stay away from the innings with crooked
numbers and 3's were kind of wild tonight.”
The Spikes put up three runs in the first, sixth and eighth innings. In other five frames, the Doubledays retired the side, with the exception being in the fourth, when one batter was walked. Auburn fanned 16 Spikes overall, proving that the talent is there and that the first week of the season wasn't a fluke.
Castillo Perez made his second start of the season, but earned his first loss. He came out shaky in the first inning, facing eight batters and walking the first two before Butch Biela, Calvin Anderson and Chase d'Arnaud earned consecutive RBIs.
“I don't think Perez was really locked in and ready to pitch the first inning,” Holmberg said. “He made some adjustments after that and settled down a little bit.”
Perez went four full innings, striking out five, including four in the third and fourth. Offensively though, the Doubledays couldn't get much going against Spikes' starter Kyle McPherson, who lasted six innings on the hill. McPherson allowed just four hits, including Leance Soto's first home run of the season - a blast to left center field - in the fifth inning that put the Doubledays on the board.
State College responded with another hat trick in the sixth, off of Dan O'Brien. The Spikes racked up four of their 10 hits in the inning, but defensive mental miscues played a part in the inning as well.
“We gave up six outs in that inning,” Holmberg said. “They scored three runs on plays we didn't make. You've got to make plays.”
Scott Leffler then came in struck out the side in the seventh, but the game seemed to get out of hand in just the next inning when the Spikes totaled three more hits - and runs - in seven at-bats. Leadoff batter Matt Payne snuck in a line drive single up the middle to score two runs with the bases loaded after two consecutive doubles kicked off the inning. Ciro Rosero chipped in with a sacrifice fly out to score Chad Rice.
“The pitching is still good,” Holmberg said. “We had the 16 strikeouts, but we have gotten a little stagnant in the last three games. At the same time, we've had 25 hits in those games and you'd think we'd be 3-0, but wow, we're 0-3.”
The Doubledays offense came alive in the bottom of the inning, when they matched the Spikes run for run. Ryan Kelly - who registered several fastballs over 95 MPH - walked two of the first three batters in the inning before Steve Condotta got his own sac fly to center field to score Chris House. Next, designated hitter David Cooper blasted a two run homer run to right field - his second of the season.
After Doubledays closer Matt Daly struck out the side in the ninth, Kelly walked the first three Doubledays in the bottom of the inning to create the hope of a late game rally. It wasn't to be though, as Leance Soto grounded out into a 5-4-3 double play. Bartolo Nicolas scored on the play, but House struck out swinging in three pitches to end the game.
“We just have to bunch together a few more hits and score more runs per inning,” Holmberg said. “It's still early in the season and we've got a long way to go. I'm not in panic mode, by any means.”
Notes: It's the second straight game where the Doubledays have hit two home runs in a loss. ...Every Spikes batter scored a run or banged one in, but Payne led with two RBIs and one run scored. ...Every State College batter also struck out, but in the No. 4 spot, Calvin Anderson was the only player with the misfortune of striking out against every Doubledays' pitcher once. Perez and Leffler caught him looking. In the Doubledays ninth spot in the lineup, Chris House is quietly playing well, with four hits in the last two games. ...It's the third straight night that Auburn has allowed 10 hits or more. The Doubledays allowed just six in the last game they won - against Mahoning Valley on Monday.
Spikes 9
Doubledays 5
D-days Today
Record: 6-4
Standings: Second place, .5-game behind
Next: vs. State College, 7 p.m.
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