Crosscutters defeat Blackbears 8-4 to make it three straight series wins to start
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The Williamsport Crosscutters made it three series wins out of three to start their 2024 campaign, defeating the West Virginia Black Bears 8-4 Thursday night at Historic Bowman Field.
Williamsport's bats showed out in the victory, securing nine hits with every member of the lineup reaching base safely in the rubber match victory.
"It is a feel good win," said Williamsport Crosscutter manager Ryan Hanigan following the victory. "I really like the way our boys bounce back after giving up runs, especially our offense.. whenever the momentum changes we get up there, we grind at bats, we get baserunners, and we hit. That's a testament to how these guys are playing together as a team; how they wanna be winning players."
For the first time in the series, it would be the Cutters striking first in the opening frame against West Virginia starter Cory Ronan. The run would be courtesy of Connor Shouse, who would lead things off with a walk. With two outs, cleanup batter Riley Nelson would fulfill the name, launching a high flier off the right field wall that scored Shouse.
One would become two a batter later when Josh Lopez poked a ball to right field for a two out single. Nelson would score standing and the Cutters would go up 2-0 after one.
But the Bears would find a response in the second versus Crosscutter starter Kyle Lacalameto. The frame began with Lucas Ismaili getting on base with a single up the middle. The corner infielder would take second on a wild pitch, which put him on second.
With two away, Mauricio Millan would step up, lacing a single to right field that scored Ismaili and made it a 2-1 game.
The equalizer would come an inning later, courtesy of a two-out rally and starting with a Brody Black walk. The speedster would quickly swipe his first bag of the season, putting the tying run in scoring position for Jack O'Dowd.The pragmatic hitter would continue his torrid pace, sending a flier off the wall at right center for a game-tying RBI double.
But the game would swing back in the Cutters’ favor an inning later, when Carter Dorighi led off with a single. With one out and Dorighi in scoring position, Cole Russo would find barrel, launching a high flier over the left field wall for a two run blast. Russo's second home run of the season put the Cutters back ahead 4-2.
As has been the norm for the game, West Virginia would instantly punch back in the fifth starting with a one out single from Beny Bikar Jr. Rylee Preece would follow suit with a single of his own, and a controversial double steal would put the pair in scoring position for Brody Black.
Black had been on a tear to start the campaign, and kept it going when he laced a double down the right field line that cleared the bases and tied the game at four.
Now, facing reliever Christian Womble, the Cutters continued their offensive charge in the fifth inning. Two hitters, Max Mandler and Riley Nelson, would reach scoring position with a single and double respectfully. Then, with runners on, Josh Lopez would come through for his second and third RBIs of the day on a single to right field, clearing the bases and putting the Cutters up 6-4.
With two outs, John Newman Jr. would sweeten the pot with a walk that put in two more. Then, fresh off a home run on his last at-bat, Cole Russo would strike again with a sharp line drive that went all the way to the wall. The bases would clear on the Russo double to give the Cutters an 8-4 lead.
Williamsport's bullpen would take it the rest of the way, with Alex Clemons and Michael Ciminiello not allowing a single hit through the last four innings. The elite bullpen effort officially put the game away in favor of the Cutters.
"It's a bullpen league, man" echoed Hanigan. "No lead is safe, as we have seen with our Trenton games. Clemons was on it tonight... and Kyle [Lacalameto] was great. He threw really well tonight. He's made some adjustments from his last outing and it really paid off. I'm happy to see those guys have success and build confidence."
With the win, Williamsport improves to 7-2 and maintains their first place spot in the Draft League. The Cutters will take to the road for their next five games, squaring off against the Frederick Keys and State College Spikes over the course of the next week.