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Crosscutters hold off diminished Thunder team 11-6

By Nicolas Severini 5 min read

The Williamsport Crosscutters got back to winning ways Saturday afternoon, downing the third place Trenton Thunder 11-6 at Historic Bowman Field

The escapades on the diamond would be masked by what transpired before the game. Roughly a half hour before first pitch was scheduled to take place, it would be announced that the game would be delayed without a storm cloud in the sky.

As it would turn out, members of the Trenton Thunder, including starting right fielder Jake Koonin and designated hitter Julian Swift, pulled themselves out of the game. By the time the national anthem was being sung at 6:50, there were roughly half as many Trenton athletes dressed then Cutter athletes. In total, roughly half a dozen athletes on the listed roster were not dressed throughout the game.

"I'm proud of our guys, our guys stood strong," said Williamsport Crosscutter manager Kenny Thomas. "They said 'We came here to play baseball, that is what we are going to do."

Trenton Thunder manager Shaun Chacon refused to comment on the pregame incident, only citing "I've gotta get in and go talk to my team," before entering the visitor's clubhouse.

Unlike down south in Aberdeen, where a player mutiny resulted in the Ironbird's game against the State College Spikes being cancelled, a game was played at Bowman.

After a 1-2-3 top of the first, Williamspoort drew first blood in the bottom of the frame starting with a leadoff Owen Prince walk. A pair of stolen bases moved the speedster to third for James McCoy, who netted his 24th RBI on the season when he flew out to right field allowing Prince to net the opening run.

The Cutters would increase their advantage an inning later. With one out, Nicholas Romano would get himself in scoring position when he ripped a double to left field. Two batters later, Romano would only need to trot back to the plate when Sam DeCarlo took a middle of the zone slider 392 feet to left for a home run. DeCarlo's blast was his first of the season to make it 3-0.

With a pitcher Billy Morris playing left field, it seemed almost destined that the baseball gods would invoke harm onto Trenton. Such an occasion would take place in the third inning. After an Owen Prince walk and Jack Kail single got two runners on, a James McCoy base hit to left would test the long arm reliever. On the throw home, Morris would have the power but lack the accuracy when his throw home sailed into the Cutters dugout. Williamsport would get two runs in. The advancement moved McCoy all the way to third, with the three hole hitter scoring two runners later from a bloop Nick Barone single.

Trenton starter John Higgins would be pulled shortly after, going two and a third of an inning allowing six runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

As if this evening didn't have enough controversy, the Cutters would have a player ejected in the fifth inning. After Nicholas Romano reached on a walk, outfielder Caron Bayne would put two on when he beat out an infield single. In the midst of his walk back to first base, an interaction occurred that led to Bayne being ejected from the game. Since no outs occurred, Chris Stanfield would come in to pinch run.

Williamsport managed to get another run in the frame courtesy of Joey DeMucci, who slapped a single to left field allowing Romano to score for the second time in the game.

Trenton's first run of the game came in part due to one of their pitchers in the lineup. Fresh off a two-way season at D'Youville, Billy Morris would lead off the sixth inning, slapping his second opposite field single of the game. A double from Cy Turner put two in scoring position for Louis Percival, who got Trenton on the board from an infield single to the shortstop.

Williamsport starter Kenny Fabian would survive the sixth before being relieved, conceding the lone run on five hits with no walks and four strikeouts thrown.

Not to be outdone, Matthew Williams would start the bottom of the frame by getting the Cutters back up seven when he launched a 399 foot homerun off the scoreboard at left field. Williams' bomb was his fourth of the season.

The Cutters would make it 9-1 by the end of the frame. With two outs and a runner on second, Sam DeCarlo continued his excellent night when he ripped a one run single to left field.

The Cutters would round out their scoring with two additional runs in the eighth. With the bases juiced, Joey DeMucci would bring a run in on a ground out to second base. Owen Prince would make it 11-1 in the next at-bat, singling on a liner to left field to bring in Nicholas Romano for the fourth time of the night.

But Trenton showed fight in the ninth inning, getting 10 batters to the plate and knocking in four runs. The loudest crowd pop from Trenton's dugout came from pinch hitter Joe Colucci. Making his first plate appearance since at least high school, the reliever would knock two run double to right field. A pitching change brought in Bobby Helt, who held the momentum and secured an 11-6 ballgame.

The win moves Williamsport to 11-10 on the season, moving Williamsport up to third in the MLB Draft League standings while sitting just two games behind State College for first place. Williamsport will look for a more rudimentary win Sunday afternoon, with the Cutters hoisting the Trenton Thunder at 4:05pm for the series finale at Bowman Field.

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