State College set the tone early, getting five runs across within the first three innings. The early advantage parlayed with umpire frustrations which saw Williamsport manager Jesse Litsch tossed gave the visitors a cushion they would not secede from.

“It was one of those games where it went back and forth and came to the last swing,” said Litsch after the game. “Those are the fun ones that you hope to come out on the other side of, and unfortunately we did not.”

The visitors got off to slow starts in each of the first two games of the series, and would rectify that run of form in the top of the first. After Williamsport starter Salvatore Ferro (0-2) forced a flyout to start the game, Braedon Blackford would continue his monstrous start to the second half with a 430-foot bomb to right center into the grass parking lot. Blackford’s fourth home run of the season gave the Spikes an early advantage.

State College kept the bats going in the next frame, with a Ryan Guardino leadoff single and Carlos Contreras double putting two in scoring position with nobody out. With the infield in their normal spots, Logan Mathieu would ground out to second, scoring Guardino to double the advantage.

Tyler Lasch of the Crosscutters singles in the sixth inning against the State College Spikes at Bowman Field on Thursday. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Will Fuenning would provide the first hit for the home side in the bottom half on a sharp grounder to left. The Scottsdale native would trot to second a pitch later when Marv Guarin tossed one to the backstop, giving the Cutters their first runner in scoring position.

Brayling Skinner, struggling this season with a .158 average, would turn his fortunes on a blooper to right field that found grass, scoring Fuenning to make it a 2-1 ballgame after two.

Ferro would find more trouble on the hill in the third. After a lineout started the frame, Williamsport’s starter conceded a single, walk, fielder’s choice, and walk to the top of the order loading up the bases with two outs. Carlos Contreras, tied with Blackford for RBI on the Spikes, would pull ahead with a two run single to right.

Fate would show not to bestow the Cutters.

With runners at the corners, Logan Mathieu made contact on a check swing, sending the ball down the third base line in fair territory in what would otherwise be considered a perfect bunt. Mathieu would beat it out, scoring Guardino from third to give State College a 5-1 lead.

Brayland Skinner of the Crosscutters is safe at first as Logan Mathieu of the State College Spikes drops the ball in the sixth inning at Bowman Field on Thursday. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Pete Lakkis was the first base umpire in charge of the evening’s proceedings, and would quickly draw the ire of home fans with questionable calls at the bag. It started in the second, when Brayland Skinner was picked off to the chagrin of the Cutter hitter. Skinner would make it known of his disagreement with the call, but went to the dugout with him still in the game.

The real questionable call came in the bottom of the third, when after a Mason Minzey lead off single, Ben MacNaughton would chop a grounder to short and beat out the throw, but he was called out.

The Cutters would still capitalize in the inning, however, with an Adam Becker walk putting runners at the corners with two away. Tyler Lasch has been the hottest bat in the clubhouse, and continued the trend on a sharp grounder that went off first baseman Logan Mathiue’s glove for an RBI single. Guarin would escape further damage, striking out Garett Wallace to strand the remaining base runners.

That would end Guarin’s outing, finishing with two earned runs along with four hits and two walks conceded in three innings at the slab.

The San Francisco native also tossed three strikeouts, and improved his ERA from 18.90 to 12.79.

Jalen Greer of the Crosscutters is forced out at second base by Marques Paige of the State College Spikes in the fifth inning at Bowman Field on Thursday. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Salvatore Ferro would toss two clean innings of ball to put a cherry on top of his outing. The New York native finished with five innings pitched, allowing five runs and seven hits while throwing three strikeouts.

A tough afternoon grew even worse for the Cutters when Davis Burgin stepped out of the pen. The reliever threw a few warm up pitches before it became apparent that something was awry. Litsch would come and walk Burgin back to the dugout with an apparent injury suffered during the warm up pitches, with Noah Robinson coming in his stead.

“Nothing yet,” said Litsch on the status of Burgin. “I’ll get updated by my trainer and we’ll go from there. Not sure what it is at this point, that’s why we have the trainers in house. We’ll see it and move forward.”

The Cutters would strike back offensively in the sixth, with Tyler Lasch hitting his second single of the day to start in the third inning of work for Patrick Kudelka (2-0). A strikeout and groundout would make it two away, with Lasch moving to third on a balk with Brayland Skinner coming to the plate.

The Mississippi native would turn a good performance into a great one, chopping a pitch down the first base line and beating out the throw for his second single, scoring Lasch in the process.

Brayland Skinner of the Crosscutters singles against the State College Spikes in the second inning at Bowman Field on Thursday. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“I was just getting comfortable in the box and trusting myself,” said Skinner. “Just sticking with my approach. That seems to be working so I’ll keep sticking with it.”

With a 1-0 count and Freddy Rojas Jr. at the dish, Skinner would attempt to steal second. The speedster would reach easily, only for the inning to end as Rojas Jr. was called out by home plate umpire Matthew Martin who ruled a hitter’s interference on the throw. That would be the last straw for Litsch, who was tossed from the game after an extended argument with Martin.

Litsch would remain in the dugout for a short while, not realizing he had been tossed when Martin made the signal as he was walking away.

“To be honest, I had no idea I got tossed,” said Litsch. “I was walking away and it just happened. It is what it is … the hands were dealt and we gotta play them and go from there.”

Williamsport’s next best chance to cut at the lead came in the bottom of the eighth, with Will Fuenning and Brayland Skinner both reaching with two away. With Justin Miller in his second inning of work, Miller would pull through with a strikeout to Freddy Rojas Jr. to escape the jam.

Garret Wallace of the Crosscutters throws out Caleb Marquez of the State College Spikes to end the top of the second inning at Bowman Field on Thursday. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

The Spikes would find insurance in the top of the ninth. Facing Connor Langrell with none on and two outs, Luis Aviles would unleash a shot to left field that went just over the wall. His fourth home run of the season gave the Spikes a three run cushion.

Williamsport would pressure Spikes closer Ty Pohlman (2 S) to start, with Mason Minzey reaching on a hit by pitch and Ben MacNaughton taking first on a walk. A strikeout from pinch hitter EJ Taylor provided the first out, with an RBI single up the middle by Adam Becker making it a two run games, putting the tying run at first in the process.

Tyler Lasch would get out on a bloop to the shortstop for out number two sending Garrett Wallace to the plate. Wallace would get his break, slapping a single that went off the third baseman, scoring MacNaughton and putting the tying run in pinch runner Isiah Byers at second,

But that was all the magic Williamsport could muster, with a Will Fuenning pop up securing a dramatic victory for State College.

The loss drops the Cutters to 6-10 in the second half season. Their place in the standings remains still, staying in fifth in the standings and six games back from the first place West Virginia Black Bears.

With the four game set in State College’s favor two games to one, the Cutters will look to split the series on Friday night at Bowman Field.

Salvatore Ferro of the Crosscutters throws in the second inning against the State College Spikes at Bowman Field on Thursday. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette