UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Daniel Castano tossed 7 1/3 innings and allowed just one unearned run, but Oscar Rojas’s triple in the ninth led the Hudson Valley Renegades past the State College Spikes, 3-1, on Wednesday night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
(Photo: Yariel Gonzale. Photo courtesy of State College Spikes)
Despite the Spikes’ (27-22) defeat, losses by West Virginia, Mahoning Valley, and West Virginia kept State College with in two games of the New York-Penn League Pinckney Division lead, and within a game-and-a-half of the lead in the race for the league’s lone Wild Card berth.
Castano went into the eighth inning for the fourth time this season, only allowing a run in the second on his own fielding error. The southpaw gave up four hits and a walk while recording one strikeout and reduced his ERA to 2.25, good for sixth-best in the NYPL.
State College tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth when Yariel Gonzalez followed back-to-back singles from Scott Hurst and Evan Mendoza with one of his own.
Rojas would have the last word, however, with his three-base hit scoring one run, and an error plating him as well.
Spikes reliever Will Latcham (1-1) took the loss, with two runs, one of them earned, charged to him over 1 2/3 innings. Latcham allowed one hit and one hit batsman while striking out two batters.
Hudson Valley (24-25) starter Drew Strotman, an NYPL All-Star like Castano, yielded one run on three hits and two walks while striking out five batters over six innings.
Reliever Hunter Schreyer (1-0) then picked up the win with two scoreless innings in which he gave up one hit and two walks while notching one strikeout. Matt Vogel (1) loaded the bases in the ninth with a walk and two hit batsman but earned the save with a shutout inning.
The Spikes and Renegades finish up their three-game series at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park with a 7:05 p.m. rubber match on Thursday. State College will start right-hander Johan Oviedo (1-0) on the mound, while Hudson Valley will go with left-hander Resly Linares (1-3).
