FREDERICK, Md. - Starting pitcher Reilly Shafer snapped his four-game losing streak on the hill and Williamsport snapped their six-game losing streak on the field as the Crosscutters dominated the Frederick Keys 14-0 in the opening game of this three-game series at Nymeo Field on Friday night.
Vantrel Reed, as he has often before from the lead-off spot, got things going in the top of the first with a single and moved first to third on a Jackson Mayo single. Mayo would steal second to put two in scoring position for DJ Smiley. Smiley hit a fly ball to left that was deep enough to allow Reed to score. Mayo would steal third to setup Max Mandler for an RBI as he singled to center to give Williamsport an early 2-0 lead after a half inning.
The Cutters offense would strike again quickly in the second inning as TJ Racherbaumer singled to get things started, quickly followed by a Matt Flaherty walk. Joey Parliment flew out to center field, allowing Racherbaumer to move up to third. The lineup flipped back to the top and Vantrel Reed, who added a sacrifice fly to left to score Racherbaumer. Not to be outdone, Jackson Mayo would sharply single to deep right field. pushing across Flaherty from first to give Williamsport a 4-0 lead as the game moved to the middle of the second inning.
The scoreboard would go quiet until the sixth inning, where it would be the Cutters making the noise once again in a big way. TJ Racherbaumer reached from the lead-off spot for the second time in the game, this time on a walk and two batters later would move up to second on a Joey Parliment single. Vantrel Reed would then add his second RBI of the night as his single to right would be enough to push across Racherbaumer. Jackson Mayo would be next up and worked a walk to load the bases for DJ Smiley. Smiley would ground into a fielder's choice but thanks to a throwing error by Keys first baseman Bronson Rivera, Frederick would get no outs from the play as Parliment and Reed scored and Mayo advanced to second. He wouldn't stay at second long through as Max Mandler singled to right to score Mayo and move Smiley up to second. Williamsport wasn't done there as Marcus Brodil walked to load up the bases once again, setting the table for Carlos Castillo. Castillo would drive yet another single to the outfield, pushing across Smiley and Mandler and moving Brodil into scoring position at second. TJ Racherbaumer came to the plate next as the tenth batter of the inning and would single to load up the bags again. Frederick pitcher Anderson-Cuello-Batista, who had just entered the game, would be charged with a wild pitch that moved everyone up ninty feet and allowed Marcus Brodil to score. Castillo and Racherbaumer would each score as well as Matt Flaherty doubled to left to cap a nine run sixth inning, giving Williamsport a massive 13-0 lead.
Williamsport would continue the parade of runs in the top of the eighth inning as Carlos Castillo started off the frame with his sixth double of the season and moved to third as TJ Racherbaumer picked up his third single of the game. Two batters later, Castillo scored on an RBI groundout by Joey Parliment for the only run of the inning, pushing the Williamsport lead to 14-0 and capping the scoring for the night.
Clarion University product Reilly Shafer got the start and finally earned his first win of the season, improving to 1-4, after five innings of shutout work on the hill, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out five.
Issac Fix came in to relieve Shafer and threw a 1-2-3 sixth inning, striking out one.
David White entered for Fix to go the next two innings, no hitting the Keys while walking two and striking out three.
Davis Blair took to the hill in a non-save situation in the ninth and completed the shutout of Frederick, allowing no hits with three walks and one strikeout.
Williamsport and Frederick continue the three-game series on Saturday night from Nyemo Field as the Cutters send RHP Brad Rudis (3-2, 2.91 ERA) to the hill to face off against Keys RHP Paul Panduro (2-3, 7.31 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
Cutters Carvings - The nine run sixth inning is tied for the most runs scored by the Crosscutters in a single inning in 2025... The fourteen runs scored is tied for the most runs scored by the Crosscutters in a single game this season... The last time Williamsport scored 10+ runs in a game was on August 3rd when the Cutters won 14-5, also at Frederick...
