Entering the game, Connecticut Tigers starting pitcher Clemente Mendoza had a robust 7.88 ERA.
It didn’t show Thursday night.
Mendoza threw eight shutout innings of two-hit baseball, and the Tigers beat the State College Spikes 5-0 Thursday night at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Conn. It was just the second time the Spikes have been shutout this season.
Two singles to center field, one in the first inning by second baseman Walker Gourley and another in the sixth by catcher Miguel Mendez, marked the only two State College base knocks off Mendoza, who had not allowed less than five hits in any of his prior five starts. Matt Curry added a single to left field off Connecticut reliever Antonio Cruz in the ninth inning to extend his hit streak to 12 games.
In all, the Spikes first, third and fifth hitters combined to go 0-for-11 in the game.
Mendoza, a 6-foot right-handed pitcher from Caracas, Venezuela struck out seven Spikes (14-13) and walked just two. He improved his record to 2-3 on the season and his ERA to 5.91 with his outstanding performance — it was the longest any starting pitcher has gone against the Spikes all season.
It was by far Mendoza’s best start of the year. In his first five starts, he gave up 24 runs, 21 of which were earned in 24 innings. Opponents were hitting .327 off him and he had already given up four home runs in the young season.
After tallying 41 hits in its past three games, including a franchise-record-tying 20 on Monday, State College veered from its recent form with the poor showing from the batter’s box.
Connecticut (14-13), on the other hand, notched 10 hits off three Spikes’ hurlers. Tigers third baseman Matt Perry went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, and first baseman James Robbins went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI.
State College starting pitcher Zack Dodson was responsible for three runs on four hits in four innings. The 19-year-old struck out five and walked three. He remains winless on the season, with his record dropping to 0-2.
Ryan Beckman and Brooks Pounders threw two innings each for State College, combining to give up two runs on six hits.
The Spikes and Tigers will play the rubber match of their three-game set at 7:05 tonight.