Friday, July 30 – 7:05 p.m.
Williamsport Crosscutters – Philadelphia Phillies (24-16) @
State College Spikes – Pittsburgh PIrates (20-20)
Game #41 / Home Game #21
RHP Tyler Waldron (2-2, 2.73) vs. RHP Craig Fritsch (2-0, 0.77)
Friday’s Promotions: 4 for $44 Friday presented by US Foodservice, FIREWORKS, Mifflin & Juniata County Night presented by the Lewistown Sentinel, Post-Game Kids Run the Bases presented by HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehabilitation Hospital
-SPIKES LOOK TO IMPROVE 20-20 VISION AGAINST CUTTERS: The SawBuck Series scene shifts back to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park for the final game of a three between the State College Spikes and Williamsport Crosscutters. Williamsport now leads the season series, 5-3, and the all-time series, 29-27. The Spikes are at .500 for the seventh time this year.
-LAST GAME: Zac Fuesser and Mitch Fienemann combined to hold Williamsport hitless until the eighth inning, but an unearned run in the seventh proved the difference as State College fell, 1-0, at Historic Bowman Field last night. The Spikes did not collect a hit until Pat Irvine’s single up the middle in the seventh, and the two team had just four hits total.
-WALDRON GETS THE BALL FOR SPIKES: Right-hander Tyler Waldron, the New York-Penn League Pitcher of the Week, makes his eighth start tonight for State College. Waldron brings a 14-inning scoreless streak into the game, the longest for any Spikes pitcher this season. The 2010 fifth-round draft pick out of Oregon State pitched 11 of those scoreless innings last week against Auburn.
-FRITSCH TO GO FOR WILLIAMSPORT: Right-hander Craig Fritsch will be make the start for the Crosscutters this eveing. Fritsch is just under nine innings shy of the minimum needed to take the NYPL lead in ERA, but already has one of only two complete games in the league this year. The Round Rock, TX native was the Phillies’ 16th-round draft choice this year out of Baylor, where he was a starter and reliever for the Bears, going 2-4 with a 3.68 ERA.
-CURRY AMONG HITTING LEADERS: With his five plate appearances on Wednesday, Matt Curry reached the minimum needed to appear on the NYPL lists in batting average (2nd, .376), slugging average (3rd, .570) and on-base percentage (2nd, .459). Curry was the league leader in batting until going 0-for-3 last night in Williamsport.
