Williamsport, Pa. – Ryker Walton set the tone early, as the Crosscutters picked up their first win of the second half, topping the IronBirds 6-1.
Walton hit the ground running in his debut, retiring the side in the 1st inning. The right-hander out of Austin Peay would work three-up-three-down innings in the 3rd and 4th innings as well.
The only blemish on an otherwise clean sheet for Walton was a lead off Home Run by Brayden Simpson in the Top of the 5th inning.
The Crosscutters starter finished the night, allowing one run on two hits. He struck out five and did not allow a walk in the win.
Nick Barone got the scoring started for the Cutters, plating Chris Stanfield with a RBI ground out in the Bottom of 1st, giving Williamsport a 1-0 lead on Barone’s seventh RBI of the year.
Stanfield added on in the Bottom of the 2nd inning, driving in Carson Bayne with a two-out RBI single to center, making it 2-0 Cutters on Stanfield’s 18 RBI.
After the IronBirds plated a run in the Top of the 5th, Owen Prince plated Barone with a RBI ground out, upping the Williamsport lead to 3-1 on Prince’s 8th run batted in.
Brody Roe entered in the 6th inning and dominated the IronBirds, retiring all six of the seven batters that he faced, using his defense to record all six outs.
Luc Lavigueur took over in the 8th inning, allowing the first two batters to reach. The Cutters defense help Lavigueur get out of the jam as Trevor Conley threw out a would be base stealer at 3rd and Nicholas Romano made a fine catch against the railing in front of the Aberdeen dugout to end the inning.
Conley added an insurance run with a RBI ground out that chased home Prince to make it 4-1. For Conley, it was his 2nd RBI of the year.
Brodey Cares put a bow on it with a two-out, two-run single to left-center, scoring Ehi Okojie and Chris Stanfield. For Acres, it upped his RBI total to 22 and was his 28th hit of the season.
Lavigueur retired the IronBirds in order in the Top of the 9th inning, closing out his first save of the season.
The Crosscutters open a new series against the Trenton Thunder tomorrow night at Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field. First pitch scheduled for 6:35p.m.
Cutters Carvings: The Crosscutters plated three of their six runs with RBI ground outs… Williamsport stole nine bases in the win, Chris Stanfield led the way with three thefts… With the split, the Cutters have not lost a series since their second series of the season in Trenton…
