FREDERICK, Md. - Despite taking leads in the first inning and the third inning, the Williamsport Crosscutters would go on to a 12-4 loss to the Frederick Keys on Saturday night at Nyemo Field in Frederick, Maryland.
Vantrel Reed and Jackson Mayo started off the game tonight right where they left off last night by recording back-to-back singles. Unfortunately for the Cutters, both were retired as DJ Smiley grounded into a 6-4-2 fielder's choice double play. With two outs, Smiley moved first to third on a Max Mandler single and scored on a Marcus Brodil single to give the Cutters a 1-0 lead after a half-inning.
Frederick would respond in the bottom of the second inning as Jamal Ritter hit a 361 foot home run leading off the inning to tie the game up at 1-1 after two innings.
Williamsport would quickly answer back to retake the lead in the top of the third. With one away, Jackson Mayo would work a walk and stole second, his seventeenth stolen base of the season. That setup Williamsport for back-to-back RBI doubles from Max Mandler, scoring Mayo, and Marcus Brodil, scoring Mandler to make it 3-1 Cutters in the middle of the third.
In the fifth inning, Frederick would use a lead-off triple, a throwing error by Williamsport catcher TJ Racherbaumer and a sacrfice fly to tie the game up for the second time, this time at 3-3.
The wheels fell off the wagon for the pitching staff in the seventh inning as Frederick struck for eight runs to take an 11-3 lead.
Williamsport would get a run back in the top of the eighth as Jackson Mayo and DJ Smiley led off with back-to-back singles. Max Mandler would fly out to center field to move Mayo up to third and Marcus Brodil grounded out 1-3 to score Mayo to move the score to 11-4.
Frederick added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to cap the scoring at 12-4 in favor of the Keys.
Brad Rudis went five innings on the hill as the starter, taking a no-decision after leaving a tied ballgame. Rudis allowed three runs on eight hits, including a home run, no walks and six strikeouts.
Holland Townes suffered the loss to fall to 0-2 on the season after allowing one run on one hit with one walk and one strikeout in one inning of work.
Isaac Fix faced five batters in the seventh but failed to record an out, allowing five runs, four earned, on two hits with a walk and two hit batters.
Jax Howard made his return to the mound after a lengthy absence, allowing two runs on one hit with two strikeouts.
Jared Ure finished out the game for Williamsport, allowing one run on one hit with two walks and no strikeouts in the eighth.
Williamsport and Frederick conclude this three-game series and the season series against the Keys on Sunday afternoon from Nyemo Field as the Cutters send RHP AJ Campbell (3-1, 4.15 ERA) to the hill to face off against Keys RHP Joshua Lanham (0-2, 9.14 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
Cutters Carvings - Tonight's loss means that Williamsport must win tomorrow to split the season series against Frederick... Williamsport manager Kenny Thomas was ejected from the game in the middle of the sixth inning... Williamsport catcher TJ Racherbaumer was removed from the game in the bottom of the seventh inning due to injury...
