NILES, Oh. - Williamsport continued their winning ways as they took Game One of this two-game series against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers 7-2 on Monday night at Eastwood Field for their third straight victory.
Williamsport opened the scoring, as they often do, in the first inning as Max Mandler worked a two-out walk and immediately scored as Marcus Brodil hit his fourth double of the season to give the Cutters the early 1-0 lead.
The second inning would see Williamsport tack on two more runs as Carlos Castillo would work a lead-off walk and Rath Petersen would single. This would set things up for Matt Flaherty to double and drive in Castillo while Petersen was shown the stop sign at third. Petersen would not stay there long, scoring on a Marquis Jackson groundout to make it 3-0 Williamsport through an inning and a half.
Mahoning Valley would get a run back in the bottom of the third to close the Williamsport lead to 3-1.
The Cutters wasted no time getting the run back in the fourth with Vantrel Reed picking up a one-out single, stole second and advanced to third on a Jackson Mayo groundout. This would setup Max Mandler to drive in Reed with a line drive single to make it 4-1 in favor of Williamsport.
The scoring fell silent until the bottom of the sixth as Mahoning Valley used a ground-rule double and a single to close the Williamsport lead back to two at 4-2.
Williamsport would immediately respond in the seventh. Jackson Mayo would drive his tenth double in the lead-off spot and advanced to third on a passed ball. Max Mandler would pick up another RBI as he singled to drive in Mandler. Mandler would add a run of his own as he advanced to second with his ninth stolen base of the year, moved to third on a Marcus Brodil groundout and scored on a Michael Zarrillo sacrifice fly to make it 6-2 at stretch time.
In the ninth, the Crosscutters would be looking for insurance runs and would get one as Michael Zarrillo hit a 354 foot solo home run to right field to cap the scoring at 7-2 in favor of Williamsport.
Brad Rudis got the start for Williamsport and picked up his third win of the season, improving to 3-2 on the season, after five innings of work on the mound. Rudis surrendered just one run on six hits with no walks and ten strikeouts.
Isaac Fix was first out of the bullpen and worked the next two innings, allowing one run on three hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Fix would be credited with a hold, his first of the season.
Submarine pitcher Leo Giannoni, making his Crosscutters debut, was strong in the closing role, going the final two innings without allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out two in a non-save situation.
Williamsport will go for the sweep of this quick two-game series at Mahoning Valley on Tuesday night. First pitch from Eastwood Field is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Cutters Carvings - Williamsport pitching did not allow any walks until the ninth inning tonight... Seven of nine Crosscutters hitters recorded at least one base hit tonight... Williamsport is now one game behind West Virginia for first place in the MLB Draft League Second Half standings...
