(Trenton, NJ) – It’s hard to describe Thursday night’s game between your Trenton Thunder and the Williamsport Crosscutters because it started with a 12-run top of the first that lasted nearly 40 minutes. The Crosscutters could have stopped right there and won the third and deciding game of the series handily, but they never stopped scoring. The lineup mashed 26 hits, worked nine walks, capitalized on eight Thunder errors, and forced the Thunder to use four position players on the mound. When it was all over, the Crosscutters left town with a 29-3 win and tilted the season series in their favor at 10 wins and 9 losses.
In that unbelievable top of the first, the Crosscutters sent their starting nine to the plate twice against Thunder starter **Jose Ledesma **and his immediate replacement Nicolas Luc. With 12 runs on eight hits, they didn’t need any help but still took advantage of four Thunder errors in the frame. **Connor Denning’s **big night started with a three-run homer that pushed the lead to 10-0 before Luc came in from the bullpen to get the last two outs. In the bottom of the first, the Thunder scored against Jarrett Whorff, whose night started with three straight singles from Christian Merriwether, Dilan Espinal, and Sam Freedman.
The Crosscutters tacked on two more runs in the third, three in the fourth, and two in the fifth. The fifth inning started with Denning’s second home run and eventually led to **Nicholas Hussey’s **bases loaded walk. In the sixth, a pair of two-RBI doubles by **Zach Miller **and Hussey pushed the Williamsport lead to 23-1. Whorff finished with eight strikeouts over six innings and didn’t allow a base hit after Espinal’s second single in the third. Trenton’s second run scored during his final inning because of an errors, two walks, and a wild pitch.
Trenton’s cavalcade of position players on the mound started with Jeff Manto facing just one batter to record the final out of the sixth. In the seventh, **Paul Coumoulos **surrendered a two-run homer to Denning and a three-run bomb to **EJ Taylor **which gave Williamsport a 28-2 advantage. Both teams scored one last run in the eighth, with Freedman driving in his second run with a leadoff home run for the Thunder off Jesse Bolt. Catcher **Kevin Saenz **then became the fourth position player to pitch when he worked the ninth, working around a one-out single by Hussey to record three outs.
The final 6-game homestand for your Trenton Thunder starts on Tuesday, August 23 at 7:00 PM against these very same Williamsport Crosscutters. For full ticket pricing and information for the rest of the 2022 season, partnership/sponsorship opportunities, and information about special events at Trenton Thunder Ballpark, please visit trentonthunder.com or call the Thunder Box Office at (609) 394-3300, opt 4.
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The Trenton Thunder have drawn over 10 million fans over 28 years and have won the three major awards that Minor League Baseball teams can win; the Johnson Trophy for the “Nation's Best Franchise”, the Larry MacPhail Trophy for Outstanding Club Promotion, and the Bob Frietas Award for Long-Term Success, given by Baseball America. The team has given back over $7.5 million worth of goods, services, and monetary donations through Trenton Thunder Charities, under the Grand Slam We Care Foundation umbrella. The Thunder can be found online at trentonthunder.com, facebook.com/trentonthunder, twitter.com/trentonthunder, and on youtube.com/AATrentonThunder.
