In the five losses, Williamsport has been outscored 63-14, with three losses being by double digits. Four of the five losses have taken place at home.

“Everyone is questioning what we are doing and, crap, I’m questioning it myself,” said Williamsport Crosscutter manager Kenny Thomas. “I don’t know what to do. I’ve never seen anything like it. I really haven’t.”

For the fifth game in a row, Williamsport would concede a run in the first innings starting with a Tyler Cerny hit by pitch. The Black Bear leadoff man would advance to third on a pair of passed balls, with a one-out Judah Morris walk putting runners at the corners.

Cleanup batter Nico Newhan would come to the plate next and not disappoint, scoring Cerny on a line drive single that put the visitors ahead.

Starting pitcher Cody Delvecchio of the Williamsport Crosscutters throws during the first inning against West Virginia at Journey Bank Ballpark. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

That would serve only as an appetizer for Beau Sylvester. The West Virginia catcher came into the game with one home run on the year, and doubled that tally when he laced a middle-middle slider out of the ballpark and over the left field wall.

The Black Bears would extend their lead an inning later, beginning with a Roman Jackson hit that was recorded as a double despite the ball hitting off the glove of centerfielder Jack Lausch. A similar circumstance two batters later allowed Jackson to score when Tyler Pettorini struck a hard grounder off the diving glove of second baseman Joey Parliament.

Two wild pitches later, Pettorini would score off a Judah Morris sacrifice fly.

Across the first two innings, catcher Boston Smith and starter Cody Delvecchio would concede a passed ball and four wild pitches.

“Is there a witch?” asked an appropriately befuddled Thomas. “Maybe the fireworks will get the witch tonight that hovers over us in the first inning.”

Amman Dewberry of the Williamsport Crosscutters catches a fly ball hit by Tyler Pettorini of the Black Bears at Journey Bank Ballpark. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

West Virginia would knock out Delvecchio in the fourth inning, scoring two more runs in the process off of a Judah Morris RBI single and a Nico Newhan groundout that brought in Tyler Kerny.

Delvecchio would finish with just three and one-third innings pitched, conceding eight earned runs on nine hits while throwing three strikeouts. With Saturday being his second appearance with Williamsport, his ERA would move from 3.00 to 9.64.

“We sent a guy up there today with tons of experience,” said Thomas. “Big time college guy, projected draft pick; and we saw what happened. So I really… I don’t know the answer.”

West Virginia starter Sam Tookoian’s evening would go much smoother. The Fresno, Ca. native would shut out the Cutters through his four innings pitched, allowing just one hit and one walk while throwing five strikeouts. Across four appearances and nine innings pitched,Tookoian has yet to concede a run with West Virginia this season.

The Black Bears would go back to the well in the sixth inning, with Tyler Cerny and Tyler Pettorini reaching on a double and single that brought in the former. Pettorini would score four batters later on balls, with a Nico Newhan single and Ben Zeigeler-Namoa fielder’s choice being matched by walks to Beau Sylvester and Ethan Hott.

Beau Sylvester of West Virginia rounds the bases on a home run during the first inning as starting pitcher Cody Delvecchio of the Williamsport Crosscutters waits of the at Journey Bank Ballpark. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Williamsport’s misery would compound an at-bat later, when Ben Lumsden grounded to second baseman Joey Parliament.

Making his Cutters debut, Parliament went down for an impressive sliding grab, only for the throw to be wide of first baseman Matt Ilgenfritz, prompting two more runs to come across. When the dust settled, Williamsport were down 12-0 midway through the sixth inning.

With Matthew Bardowell reaching on a walk, Parliament would salvage his debut with the Cutters in the seventh, getting a single that put two on. A Jack Lausch fielder’s choice but runners at the corners for Matt Ilgenfritz, who would break the goose egg with an RBI single to center.

Parliament would be stranded on the basepaths in the seventh. In his debut, the Trevecca Nazarene graduate finished 2-for-4 with a pair of singles in the seventh and ninth inning. At least two more newcomers are expected to arrive in Williamsport to also play in the second half season.

“I was very proud of Parliament,” said Thomas. “He’s a ballplayer. That’s what I’m looking for is ball players. He’s gonna be here through the second half.”

Joey Parliament of the Williamsport Crosscutters throws out Ben Lumsden of the Black Bears at first base in the top of the 5th inning at Journey Bank Ballpark. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

The loss drops Williamsport to 11-11 on the season, the first time all year that the Cutters have dipped to .500. In addition, Williamsport now rests in the bottom half of the Draft League standings for the first time this year as well, potentially falling as far as fifth depending on results elsewhere in the league.

Williamsport will look for their first win of the month Sunday afternoon, when they host the West Virginia Black Bears in its home first half finale.