Spinners suffer fourth straight loss 5-1 to State College Spikes

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Spinners suffer fourth straight loss 5-1 to State College Spikes

It was another tough night at the ballpark for the Lowell Spinners. On Saturday night versus the State College, they were outpitched and out hit in the clutch. It added up to loss number four in a row, 5-1 to the Spikes.

Manager Cory Wimberly admits, his team is in a “rough little stretch”, but he is convinced his team will break out of it and make someone pay. Saturday’s game was not the one.

State College got a great start from Jake Dahlberg. He went the first seven innings for the Spikes and threw the ball very well. Afterward, Wimberly said, “Dahlberg mixes his pitches well and was effective moving the ball in and out, as well as up and down”.

The Spinners sent their ace to the hill, Eduard Bazardo, recently named NYPL pitcher of the week. He threw another quality game for Lowell on this night, but help from his buddies would be hard to come by.

State College broke through in the second inning and back to back hits against Bazardo would do the trick. Stanley Espinal led off the frame by tripling to left-center field. The next batter, Justin Toerner, doubled to right field to give the Spikes the early 1-0 lead.

State College doubled their lead in the fifth when with one down, Imeldo Diaz reached on an infield hit to third base. He moved up 90 feet on a base hit up the middle by Matt Duce. Diaz would cross the plate with the Spikes second run of the night on a single to center field by leadoff hitter Nick Dunn. 2-0 State College.

Meanwhile, Dahlberg was throwing a gem as he retired the first 12 Spinners he faced. In the fifth, he found some trouble. Newly activated Jake Romanski broke up the perfect bid with a single to right field. DH Kole Cottam reached on a throwing error by Spikes third baseman Edwin Figuera. After a strikeout, Dylan Hardy singled to right field to load the bases for Lowell. Andre Colon had a chance to come through and change the momentum of the game. Instead, Dahlberg induced Colon to hit into an inning-ending around the horn double play.

Lowell gave themselves another opportunity in the sixth with one man out. Jarren Duran hit his league-leading and team record-breaking 10th triple of the season to the left-center field wall. Xavier LeGrant was the next hitter, and he drove Duran in with a sacrifice fly to center field. 2-1 State College after six.

Bazardo, (5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, and 5 punchouts), gave way to the Spinners bullpen. Kris Jackson was first up and pitched well over the next two innings. The offense gave themselves another chance to crack Dahlberg in the seventh.

Romanski started it with a leadoff walk then, one out later, Tyler Esplin singled him to second base. With the tying run in scoring position, the Spinners could not get the job done. Hardy and Colon left Romanski at second base as neither man could get the big hit. Dahlberg (7 IP, 4 H,1 ER, 1 BB, and 5 strikeouts), escaped with the lead through seven innings.

State College put the game away in the ninth against the third Lowell pitcher of the night, Andrew Politi. They did it a bit uncharacteristically by hitting two home runs. The first was by Wadye Ynfante (1st of season) to left-center field on the first pitch of the inning. Then, after Duce walked and was moved up on a wild pitch, Nick Dunn (1st of the year) took Politi deep inside the right-field pole to give the Spikes the final margin of victory 5-1.

The win goes to Dahlberg now 1-2 with the save going to Winston Nicacio. It was his first of the campaign for two shutout innings of work allowing only one hit.

The loss goes to Bazardo and he falls to 4-3. The Spinners will try to salvage the final game of series and homestand on Sunday and first pitch is at 5:30 pm.