GRANVILLE, W. Va. - Despite a window in the weather system looking like a game could be played, Saturday night’s game between the Williamsport Crosscutters and the Black Bears was canceled in the top of the second inning due to storms moving through the Morgantown area.
The game, scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m., started in a lightning delay for 32 minutes before play officially began.
Williamsport got a two-out baserunner in the person of James McCoy on a sharp single to center, but he was caught stealing to end the first inning.
The bottom of the first saw Crosscutters starter Evan Grimes hit the first batter he saw but still faced the minimum thanks to a double play turned by his defense.
The Crosscutters would string together four straight base hits to start the second inning as Matthew Williams and Chris Stanfield hit back-to-back singles before Jake Zitella and his fifth double of the season drove both runners home. Zitella would quickly score as well on Nick Barone’s third triple of the season.
Two batters later, Joey DeMucci would double to left to drive home Barone and give the Cutters a 4-0 lead, still in the top of the second.
With AJ Solomon at the plate in a 2-2 count, lighting would strike once again to force the game to come to a halt. A few minutes later, rain would move in as well which would ultimately force the decision to be made to cancel the remainder of the game.
As the game only was in the top of the second inning when play was suspended, no stats will be recorded and tonight’s match-up is officially a canceled game. With the final game of the series being canceled, Williamsport officially sweeps the now two-game series against the Black Bears and takes the season series 9-4.
Williamsport will now head back across the northeast to Aberdeen, Maryland to continue their nine-game, ten-day road trip with a three-game series against the IronBirds at IBEW Local 24 Union Field at Ripken Stadium. First pitch for the series opener on Sunday is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
