NILES, Ohio - The Williamsport Crosscutters pushed their win streak to four games and earned their fourth straight series win as they defeated the Mahoning Valley Scrappers 4-2 on Tuesday night to sweep the two-game series at Eastwood Field.
Vantrel Reed got things started in a big way, blasting the fourth pitch of the game 359 feet over the left center field wall for his second home run of the year. Williamsport would continue to threaten in the first but would end up leaving the bases loaded as they led 1-0 after a half-inning of play.
It would take until the fourth inning for another run to go up on the board and once again it was the Crosscutters. Michael Zarrillo worked a lead-off walk and went first to third thanks to a Joey Parliment double, his fourth of the season. Zarillo would score on an RBI groundout to shortstop by Rayth Petersen, giving the Cutters a 2-0 lead after four innings.
Mahoning Valley would strike for a run in the bottom of the fifth inning as Ian Francis singled to lead-off the frame and then capitalized on two wild pitches by Cutters starter AJ Campbell to move all the way around to score, cutting the Williamsport lead to 2-1 after five.
Williamsport got that run back in the top of the seventh as TJ Racherbaumer singled and moved to second on a Marquis Jackson sacrifice bunt. Vantrel Reed would single to move Racherbaumer to third and would steal second, his seventh swiped bag of the season, to put two in scoring position. Jackson Mayo then would hit into a sacrifice fly to score Racherbaumer but Reed would be left stranded. Mahoning Valley would score in the bottom of the frame bringing the score to 3-2 in favor of the Cutters after seven innings.
The Cutters would get an insurance run in the top of the ninth thanks to their second home run of the ballgame, this time a 364 foot fly ball to right center field off the bat of TJ Racherbaumer to make it 4-2 Williamsport.
Mahoning Valley would get the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth but were not able to rally, giving the Crosscutters the series sweep with a 4-2 victory.
AJ Campbell got the start for Williamsport and had a productive six inning outing in route to his third win of the season, improving to 3-1. Campbell surrendered just one run on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
Jared Ure was first in relief tonight, tossing the seventh and allowed a solo home run as the only hit allowed. Ure earned his second hold of the season.
Jax Howard pitched a no-hit eighth inning while striking out two for his first hold of the season.
Holland Townes came on to close it out for Williamsport and earned his first save of the season, allowing a lead-off hit in the ninth before striking out the final two batters of the ballgame.
The Crosscutters now return home to Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field to open up a five-game homestand that opens with a battle for first place in the MLB Draft League Second Half standings during a three-game series against the West Virginia Black Bears. First pitch for the series opener on Wednesday is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
Cutters Carvings - Williamsport remains in second place in the MLB Draft League Second Half standings, one game behind the West Virginia Black Bears... Four Crosscutters hitters accounted for the eight hits tonight... Jackson Mayo added his team-leading fifteenth RBI of the season tonight...
