Williamsport, Pa. - In a rare display, the Crosscutters bullpen allowed 11 runs over the final two innings, dropping the series finale to the Thunder, 13-7 on Sunday evening at Journey Bank Ballpark.
Evan Grimes had an uncharacteristic start, allowing two runs over four innings. The lefty battled command, falling behind batters and driving his pitch count. Grimes walked three batters, allowing five hits on 75 pitches.
After the Thunder jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the Top of the 2nd inning, James McCoy lead the Cutters charge in the bottom half of the 2nd.
McCoy blasted a 412-foot home run to right, his third of the season to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Later in the inning, Mathew Williams connected on a 388-foot moon shot, plating two to give the Cutters a 3-2 lead. It was the first of the season for Williams.
The Crosscutters added on in the 3rd inning, as Carson Bayne utilized an Fielder’s Choice to plate a run and Jake Zitella drew a bases loaded walk to up the Williamsport lead to 5-2.
McCoy and Bayne added an RBI each in the 4th inning, giving the Crosscutters a 7-2 lead through four innings of play.
Matthew Mariano entered in the Top of the 5th inning, delivering three scoreless frames of work. Mariano did have to work with traffic, allowing seven hits over the course of the outing, but leaving seven runners on base.
Davin Pollard entered in the 8th inning, retiring two of the first four batters he faced. With two outs, Pollard surrendered a Grand Slam to Trenton’s Drew Wyers, cutting the Cutters lead to 7-6.
In the Top of the 9th, Luc Lavigueur walked the first three batters, loading the bases, before being pulled for Brody Roe.
Roe allowed back-to-back two-run hits to Julian Swift and AJ Swader. Trenton capped the seven-run frame with Jake Konnin’s three-run home run.
Williamsport went down in order in the Bottom of the 9th inning, dropping just their 5th home game of the season.
The Crosscutters welcome in State College for a two-game set tomorrow night, first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
Cutters Carvings: James McCoy’s 412-foot Home Run was the furthest by a Crosscutter this season… The seven runs allowed in the 9th are the most allowed in any inning by the Cutters this season… Williamsport walked 11 batters with eight coming over the final two innings of the game…
