With a whopping 13 walks allowed by Spikes pitchers giving a series opening win for Williamsport.

“We had some long at-bats, and that is always a good sign,” said Williamsport Crosscutter manager Kenny Thomas. “We had several 10 pitch at-bats where we are fouling balls off and staying in the count. That’s a good thing.”

Williamsport bats would continue their excellent run of form into the new week, with Kyle Schupmann opening the bottom of the first with a full count double off the left field wall. It would take just two pitches later for the Cutters to break the early deadlock with Addison Smith, who shot a second straight double down the left field line to score the leadoff man for the opening run.

Williamsport would turn the burst into a proper rally with the top of the lineup, with back-to-back singles from Brodey Acres and Ben Tryon bringing in Smith to double the early advantage. A 2-0 game would become 3-0 a batter later with Chris Stanfield, who corked a sacrifice flyout to left field to score Acres.

Slaide Burd of the Crosscutters makes a behind the back catch on a ball hit by Andrew Wiggins of State College duirng the second inning at Bowman Field. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Williamsport would ultimately bat around the first frame with four runs scored and five hits. The final of both would come from eight hole batter Nate McHugh, who slapped a single to left field to score Tryon for a 4-0 advantage after one.

After a clean second, State College starter Zach Kilby would draw one out in the third before back to back walks ended his shift early. The left hander would ultimately go two and a third of an inning pitched, conceding six runs on five hits with three walls and two strikeouts.

The latter two runs of Kilby’s tenure would be allowed with reliever Chance Acord at the hill. After a Nate McHugh walk loaded the bases, Slaide Burd would bring in both from the previous shift on a single to right field. Top of the order batter Kylen Schupmann would continue to pile on, snagging a single to right field to bring in McHugh for a 7-0 scoreline.

An Addison Smith walk and an out later, Ben Tryon would take a knock for a run on a hit by pitch that scored Burd to continue the carousal. One pitch later, it would be 9-0 when Acord tossed a wild pitch to score Schupmann. Across the first three innings of the game, Williamsport would bat around in two separate innings with every athlete in the lineup either reaching base or driving in a run.

State College would scrape their way to two runs in the fourth inning with the middle of the lineup going. After a Kolt Myers walk and Camden Ross double putting two in scoring position. Both would wind up scoring, with Myers being brought in on an Andrew Wiggins groundout and Ross coming home on a Justin Journette sacrifice fly.

Slaide Burd of the Crosscutters runs to first on a 2-RBI single in the third inning against State College at Bowman Field. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Williamsport starter Alex Walsh would survive through the fourth before getting pulled. The left-handed pitcher would finish conceding two runs on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

The Crosscutters would respond by getting into double figures in the bottom of the inning. With the bases loaded on walks to Owen Prince, Slaide Burd and Kyle Schupmann. The Cutters would get one run out of it and a fourth walk in a row, with Addison Smith taking a full count pitch low to bring in Prince and make it 10-2 after four innings.

Williamsport’s four more walks drawn in the fifth inning would be good for two more runs. As a Slaide Burd walk scored Ben Tryon, Kyle Schupmann’s bat would produce once more with a single to right field that scored Nick Barone and increased Williamsport’s lead to a 12-2 margin.

“I’ve always said hitting is contagious,” echoed Thomas. “One or two start, next thing you know it’s three or four, next thing you know it’s five or six. And these guys are really building off of each other and that is a good sign.”

With four innings to muster 10 runs, the Spikes would instead squeeze just one across as Williamsport’s bullpen kept the plate mostly clean on route to a 10th win in their last 11.

Brody Acres of the Crosscutters is safe at second base as Trent Turner of State College tries to make the play during the second inning at Bowman Field. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

The win moves the Crosscutters to 12-6 on the season, good for second place in the MLB Draft League Standings. The Crosscutters will look to inch closer to first-place Trenton on Wednesday, with Williamsport hosting the Spikes at 6:35 p.m. at Bowman Field.

Alex Walsh of the Crosscutters pitches in the first inning to State College at Bowman Field. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette