The win was extra sweet for the Cutters, who took victory against the Thunder after being swept in Trenton just last week.

“Timely hitting, good pitching, good defense and overall a good game altogether,” discussed Litsch. “Everyone pretty much contributed.”

The first-place Thunder showed their offensive prowess early on. After a strikeout to start the game from Cutters starter Trenton Shaw, Alden Mathes reached with a walk. The center fielder was given second after a passed ball from Jacob Harper setting up the runner in scoring position.

Three batter Chris Brito would break the deadlock early, ripping a line drive 103 miles per hour off the bat for a base hit to left, easily scoring Mathes to take the early 1-0 advantage.

Reed Chumley of the Crosscutters makes an over the shoulder catch for an out in the second inning on a ball hit by Brendan O’Donnell of the Trenton Thunder at Muncy Bank Ballpark June 30, 2023. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Getting runners on, over and in became an theme early that Williamsport would replicate. Clean-up hitter Colson Lawrence led things off in the bottom of the second with a single. A Harper groundout to the left side soon advanced Lawrence in scoring position. With two away, left fielder Sean Smith came up big, hitting a line drive to left that scored Lawrence, tying the game.

With small ball becoming the early headline, Ryan Ignoffo would provide a bit more pop off the barrel. The lefty, who was a late inclusion in the lineup in place of Gage Gundy, ripped a pitch off the left field wall for a double, scoring Smith and giving the Cutters a 2-1 lead. In total, the bottom three bats in the order would reach, completed by nine hitter Stephen Hrustich getting aboard via a walk.

With the bottom half getting on, it came down to leadoff man Stanley Tucker to get them in. The Texas A&M attendee would do just that, ripping another flyball that would careen off the wall at left field just beyond the leaping Brendan O’Donnell for a bases clearing triple. The four run inning gave the Cutters a 4-1 lead after two.

The two innings from Trenton starter Donye Evans (0-1) was all the righty would muster, finishing with four earned runs on four hits with a walk.

With Alec Rodriguez first out of the pen for the Thunder, the righty was unable to buck the trend. Without conceding a hit, Rodriguez allowed runners on first and second courtesy of a hit by pitch and fielding error from third baseman Chris Brito.

Trenton Shaw of the Crosscutters delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Trenton Thunder at Muncy Bank Ballpark June 30, 2023. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

With Colson Lawrence and Reed Chumley on first and second, Jacob Harper would once again provide energy at the plate, lining one up the middle to score Chumley. After a stolen base and wild pitch put runners in scoring position, Trenton would once again become protagonists of their own misfortune, with a passed ball scoring Lawrence from third.

After Sean Smith reached on a walk, he and Harper would execute a double steal, the third and fourth of the inning, to get runners in scoring position once more. While Rodriguez halted the rally from there, the driver’s seat was firmly belonging to the Cutters after three.

Trenton trimmed the lead down in the top of the fourth, with Anthony Calarco reaching on a base hit. With two away and Calarco at third, Chase Engelhard slapped an infield single down the third base line to make it 6-2.

Shaw would orchestrate out of the fourth to end his outing, finishing with two runs earned on five hits while tossing three strikeouts.

With the departures of Will Schomberg and Jacob Gowens, the Cutters brought in two new arms in the form of Jeffrey Gonzalez and Zane Robbins.

Colson Lawrence scores in the second inning against the Trenton Thunder at Muncy Bank Ballpark June 30, 2023. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Gonzalez (1-0) was called to task to start in the fifth, and after drawing a 1-2-3 inning, gave up a lead off homerun to Anthony Calarco to start the sixth. Gonzalez then walked Ryland Zaborowski before making way for another debutant in Robbins.

The Benton native got into hot water early, throwing a pair of wild pitches advancing Zaboroski to third. After a sacrifice fly from Tray Paige made it 6-4, Robbins buckled down with a strikeout and ground out to end the sixth with a two run lead.

Despite not recording a hit in the sixth, the Cutters found a valuable insurance run thanks to a pair of fielder’s choices and a walk. Stephen Hrustich started things by drawing a walk, with Stanley Tucker reaching on a fielder’s choice ground ball. The same occurrence took place with Edwin Toribio reaching from the same outcome. Toribio then swiped third on a stolen base, with a wild pitch from Brenton Fisher scored the DR native making it 7-4.

Robbins came back out for the seventh, and despite giving up a one out walk and stolen base, once again escaped the jam with a groundout and flyout to preserve the three run cushion.

“Obviously, I didn’t want to let the run score and wanted to do better than that,” discussed Robbins. “Was a little rusty coming out. But the second inning I was able to do a better job than that, kept it close enough and let the bullpen take it the rest of the way.”

Colson Lawrence singles in the second inning against the Trenton Thunder at Muncy Bank Ballpark June 30, 2023. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

While the Thunder’s run of form dipped at the plate, their mistakes defensively were not bucked. After Jacob Harper reached on a walk, a balk from new reliever Joan Gonzalez moved the catcher into scoring position. Daunte Stuart then slapped a slow grounder to first. In what was marked as a routine play, an awkward bounce off the lip of the infield caused the ball to go under the glove of Anthony Calarco, scoring Harper from second making it 8-4 heading into the eighth.

The bullpen would see things out from there, with Ethan O’Neill and Nate Wohlgemuth seeing things out for a clean eighth and ninth inning for the 8-4 win.

The victory was the tenth of the season for the Cutters, and are winners of three straight going back to their previous fixtures vs. the Frederick Keys. The win also keeps the Cutters in fifth place, with a chance to move a game back from fourth place State College depending on what occurs elsewhere.

Sean Smith of the Crosscutters scores in the second inning against the Trenton Thunder at Muncy Bank Ballpark June 30, 2023. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Colson Lawrence celebrates with team mates after scoring in the third inning against the Trenton Thunder at Muncy Bank Ballpark June 30, 2023. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Zane Robbins of the Crosscutters throws in the sixth inning against the Trenton Thunder at Muncy Bank Ballpark June 30, 2023. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Stephen Hrustich, left, and Ryan Ignoffo, right, of the Crosscutters celebrate after the both scored in the second inning against the Trenton Thunder at Muncy Bank Ballpark June 30, 2023. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Nate Wohlgemuth of the Crosscutters pumps his fist after the Cutters won 8-4 over Trenton Thunder at Muncy Bank Ballpark June 30, 2023. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

The Crosscutters celebrate their 8-4 win over the Trenton Thunder at Muncy Bank Ballpark June 30, 2023. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

The Crosscutters celebrate their 8-4 win over the Trenton Thunder at Muncy Bank Ballpark June 30, 2023. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette