Final Score - Trenton 5 Williamsport 4
Williamsport, PA - The Crosscutters dropped a 2-2 decision to the Trenton Thunder in Sudden Death Extra Innings, giving the Cutters their first home loss of the season.
Newly added Aaron Roberts took the hill for the Cutters, working two innings in his first start. The California product allowed one run (earned) on one hit and struck out two, but did allow a walk and a hit batter.
Williamsport was able to take their first lead of the night in the bottom of the 2nd inning, using back-to-back walks and an infield single from 2B Edarian Williams to load the bases. For DH Alan Shibley.
Shibley plated two runs with a double down the left field line, scoring LF Logan Flood and RFV Cole Evans to give the Cutters a 2-1 lead. Shibley finished the night 1-for-2 with the double and 2 RBI.
Williams would come into score the 3rd and final run of the inning on a CF Matthew Etzel RBI ground out, making it a 3-1 Cutters lead after two.
Trenton struck for two in the top of the 3rd inning, tying the game against Cutters reliever Sal Fusco. Fusco allowed the two runs on four walks and a hit, striking out one.
Fusco left after two-thirds of a inning with the bases loaded. Braden Nett was able to retire the first batter he faced to end the threat and keep the game tied.
Nett faced four batters over an inning and a third, striking out a pair, as he dispatched all four batters that he faced.
1B Hogan McIntosh ripped a double to dead center field in the 5th inning and scored on a RBI ground out by C Eddie Neimann III to give the Cutters a 4-3 lead. McIntosh finished the night 1-for-2 with the double and the run scored.
Unfortunately the Cutters were unable to hold the lead in the top of the 7th inning as Connor Fenlong surrendered the tying run on a Colby Backus RBI single, scoring Ryan McCarthy. Fenlong got the next batter to ground into the inning-ending double play.
Williamsport failed to get a base runner in the bottom of the 7th, sending the game to Sudden Death Extra Innings.
After Neimann threw out the placed runner trying to steal 2nd base for the 1st out, E.J. Exposito ripped a double off the wall in left. Then with Expsito at 3rd, Tate Ballestero chopped a Kyler Patterson pitch through the left side, scoring Exposito to give the Thunder the win.
Walks and hit batters hurt the Crosscutters, as they walked six and hit two more. Three of the four runs were scored by batters that reached via a walk or hit by pitch to lead off an inning.
The Cutters were held to a season-low three hits in the loss, finishing 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and leaving five runners on base.
As per the rules of Sudden Death, the box score reads as if the game ended in a tie and there are no winning or losing pitchers. The win will be noted in the standings.
The Crosscutters look to get back in the win column on Wednesday, as they host the Thunder, first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
Cutters Carvings: The Crosscutters fall to 2-1 in Sudden Death Extra Innings and are now 5-1 at Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field... They also fall to 0-4 against the Thunder this season...Hogan McIntosh, Lance Logsdon and Isaac Nunez each played in their return to Williamsport...
