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Courtesy of State Collehe Spikes
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Trailing 9-2 entering the sixth inning, the MLB Draft League First Half Champion State College Spikes came back to within a run and brought the tying run to the plate on multiple occasions but fell to the West Virginia Black Bears, 10-8, on Thursday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park in their second half opener.

The Spikes (0-1 2^nd Half), who will host the MLB Draft League Championship Game on Thursday, September 4 against the second half champions, used a five-run sixth inning to erase much of their deficit. After back-to-back walks to start the inning, Jakobi Davis started the flurry with a one-out RBI single. Following another walk, Trotter Boston drew a free pass with the bases loaded and a passed ball scored Davis to cut the margin to 9-5.

Cole Caruso then knocked in two runs with a single up the middle before plating State College’s last run with his fourth hit of the night, a single to left to score Boston in the eighth.

West Virginia (1-0 2^nd Half) scored an insurance run in the ninth on a fielder’s choice that scored Jake Berg to bump their lead back to two runs before the Spikes went down in order in the ninth.

The Black Bears’ Judah Morris became the second MLB Draft League player to hit two home runs in the same game this season as he launched a 418-foot three-run homer off the batter’s eye in center field in the first, followed by a line-drive two-run homer to right field in the fourth. Morris went 3-for-4 at the plate but was forced to leave the game in the sixth after taking an awkward step onto a piece of a broken bat at first base.

Adonis Forte doubled twice for the Spikes to aid the offense.

Spikes starter Dillon Fischer (0-1 2^nd Half) took the loss after allowing five runs over three innings, though he retired the last five batters he faced.

Black Bears starter Daniel Kanagy (1-0 2^nd Half) earned the win after striking out seven batters over 5 1/3 innings. Joe Steeber (1 2^nd Half) notched the final six outs for the save.

Friday, the Spikes and Black Bears finish up what became a two-game series at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park with a 6:35 p.m. matchup.