STATE COLLEGE, PA – A nine-inning drama unfolded at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park on Saturday night as the State College Spikes saw a late lead slip away in a gut-wrenching 8–4 loss to the Trenton Thunder. What began as a strong showing by the Spikes quickly turned into a ninth-inning storm led by the Thunder, who erupted for five runs to seal the comeback victory. It was a rollercoaster of a game from the first pitch, with each team trading jabs early before Trenton’s offense landed the knockout punch in the final frame.
The Thunder wasted no time getting on the board in the top of the first, when Rowan Masse singled, advanced on a walk and a balk, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Carsten Sabathia III to give Trenton a 1–0 lead. But the Spikes struck back quickly.
In the bottom of the first, Ryan Rivera led off with a single, and after some crafty baserunning and a walk, Carmelo Musacchia tied the game with an RBI single. A wild pitch brought home Hugh Pinkney, and Javon Hernandez followed with a sac fly to cap a three-run frame, pushing the Spikes ahead 3–1.
The Spikes tacked on another in the bottom of the second thanks to a heads-up baserunning clinic by Matt Evans, who singled, stole both second and third base, and scored on a balk. Evans finished the game with three stolen bases, raising his season total to seven.
But from that point, the bats cooled off for State College.
In the top of the fourth, Trenton began to chip away. After a single by Jaden Sheffield scored a run, Aaron Whitley brought another home with a line drive to center. By the time the dust settled, the Spikes’ lead had shrunk to 4–3.
The next several innings turned into a pitcher’s duel and a defensive grind. Spikes starter Jude Abbadessa handed the ball off to the bullpen, and despite some traffic on the bases, the Spikes held Trenton at bay through the eighth.
Then came the top of the ninth, and with it, the turning point.
JuJu Stevens jumpstarted the Thunder’s rally with a leadoff double, prompting a pinch-running appearance from John Schroeder. A walk to Sabathia III and an RBI single by Evin Sullivan tied the game at 4–4. That set the stage for Brayden Fraasman, who delivered a single to load the bases.
Enter Jakob Poturnak, who stepped to the plate and delivered the moment of the night—a bases-clearing double to the right field corner that plated three and broke the tie wide open. Trenton wasn’t done. Aaron Graeber followed with a scorching double of his own to score Poturnak, pushing the Thunder lead to 8–4.
Suddenly, the Spikes were down four and needed a rally of their own.
But Jarrette Bonet slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth, recording a strikeout and inducing two quick outs to end it. The Spikes went down quietly, stunned by the ninth-inning surge.
Rodney Shultz took the loss for State College, falling to 1–1 on the season with a 7.11 ERA, while Andrew Ronne picked up the win in relief, improving to 2–0 despite a 10.38 ERA.
In total, Trenton outhit the Spikes 13–5 and played error-free baseball, while the Spikes committed four costly errors that helped open the door for Thunder scoring chances.
Despite the loss, there were bright spots. Matt Evans showcased dynamic baserunning. Jakob Poturnak continued his hot streak at the plate, and Carmelo Musacchia delivered clutch early-game offense. But ultimately, it was a tale of two ninth innings, and the Thunder’s was simply better.
With the win, Trenton moves to 6–8 on the season, while State College drops to 5–6. The two teams will look to settle the series in what’s shaping up to be a hard-fought weekend.
