STATE COLLEGE, PA – On a warm Friday evening at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, the Trenton Thunder jumped out early and never looked back, downing the State College Spikes 6–2 in a game defined by opportunistic offense, clutch pitching, and a few too many missed chances for the home squad.
After a quiet first inning, the Thunder roared to life in the top of the second, putting up a four-run frame that ultimately set the tone for the rest of the night. Aaron Graeber got things started with a single, and Jakob Poturnak followed with a walk. A wild pitch from Spikes starter Wyatt Evans advanced both runners, and the floodgates opened. After Brayden Fraasman drew another walk to load the bases, Danny Corona delivered a two-RBI single, driving in Graeber and Poturnak. A sac fly from Harry Genth brought home Fraasman to make it 3–0.
That inning chased Evans, who was saddled with the loss (0–1) and an ERA that ballooned to 6.23.
The Thunder weren’t finished yet. In the top of the third, Aaron Whitley walked and later came around to score on a John Schroeder single after stealing second, putting Trenton up 4–0.
The Spikes scratched one across in the bottom of the frame, thanks to Quinn Bentley, who was hit by a pitch, advanced on a wild pitch, and eventually scored on yet another errant delivery from Trenton’s Gavin King.
They inched a little closer in the fourth. Bentley again ignited the offense, this time via a walk and a balk-assisted advance to second. A clutch single from Landen Johnson brought Bentley home to make it 4–2, giving the home crowd a flicker of hope.
But that hope was short-lived.
In the sixth, JuJu Stevens singled and moved into scoring position on a flyout. That set the table for Jakob Poturnak, who crushed a double to right field to bring Stevens home, extending the lead to 5–2.
From there, Trenton’s bullpen went to work. Eddie Smink, who came in during the fifth, tossed 2.1 innings of scoreless ball and earned his first win of the season (1–0), sporting an ERA of just 1.13. He got timely help from Kai Fyke, Aidan Weaver, Brett Dunham, and Caden Wooster, who all combined to lock the door on any potential Spikes comeback.
The Thunder tacked on an insurance run in the eighth, when Brayden Fraasman—who reached base three times on the night—singled to score Aaron Graeber, who had reached on a rare error by the left fielder.
Meanwhile, the Spikes offense struggled to find rhythm, collecting only three hits all night—one apiece from Schroeder, Whooley, and Stevens. A tough eighth inning saw State College draw back-to-back walks with two outs but fail to convert, and a quiet ninth sealed their fate.
A bright spot defensively came in the seventh when Harry Genth tried to tag up from third but was gunned down at the plate by a sharp relay from catcher Camden Ross to third baseman Quinn Bentley, and back to pitcher Chase Horst, ending the inning with a flourish for the Thunder.
With the win, Trenton improves to 5–8, while State College drops to 5–5, bringing their once-smooth season to an even split.
Despite the loss, the Spikes will have a chance to regroup and get back on track in their next matchup. The series continues this weekend as both teams look to climb the standings in the MLB Draft League.
