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Crosscutters post comfortable win in series finale vs. Mexico

By NICOLAS SEVERINI 4 min read

The Williamsport Crosscutters completed their first sweep of the season Sunday afternoon, downing Team Mexico in the MLB Draft League International Series 9-2 at Bowman Field.

After two close weekend contests, the Cutters would make it no nonsense in game three tacking on the first nine runs of the game on route to a comfortable victory.

"I hope that we can keep the momentum going," said Williamsport Crosscutter manager Kenny Thomas. "I thought the guys came out today with good energy. I played a lot of guys today, too, and a lot of guys in and out-contributed, so that was good."

After two quiet innings, "Los Cadejos" would put pressure in the third, loading the bases with no outs on a KJ White reach-by-error, Nate Mchugh single, and Slaide Burd walk.

Two batters later, the Cutters would draw first blood for the first time in the series getting two across on asingle from Addison Smith that scored White and Mchugh. The knock would put Smith at 11 RBI on the season, the first on the team with double-digit runs batted in on the year. The Cutters would get one more across in the frame on a Luis Villavicencio wild pitch, with a low breaking ball beating the catcher and scoring Slaide Burd for a 3-0 mark after three.

Villavicencio would be relieved after three innings, conceding two earned runs on two hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

Contrary to Mexico's pitching struggles, Williamsport starter Chris Guillory was impregnable in his third appearance of the season. The recent high school grad and Houston commit would blank the Mexicans across five innings, allowing just two hits and a walk while throwing five strikeouts. Now in 13 innings pitched on the year, the right-hander has yet to concede a run."He did a great job," echoed Thomas. "He commanded the strike zone. I was happy not to see a lead off walk or home run today. He stayed calm, kept everything controlled, and did a super job. He was our first starter this year to go five (innings) and I'm so proud of him."The Cutters would continue their offensive output in the fourth starting with Chris Stanfield, who would take a hit by pitch all the way to third after a stolen base and a wild pitch. Another throwing error from a Mexico defender would make it 4-0 an at bat later after a Chance Jennings chop grounder to third led to an arrant toss by Mexico third baseman Sebastian Estorga.

Jennings would manage to go all the way to third courtesy of that error, with the outfielder touching home an at-bat later courtesy of a Nate McHugh RBI groundout.

With two away, Williamsport continued the rally on a Slaide Burd hit by pitch and Kyle Schupman single. Both would come into score once again from Addisoon Smith, who knocked in his third and fourth RBI on the day with a double down the left field line.

It would be a career day for Smith, with the middle infielder going three for five with a double and four RBI. By the end of the game, his 13 season runs batted in on the season ranking first in the league.

"He's a tough cookie, aint he?" Thomas chuckled. "He plays hard every play. It doesn’t matter where he hits it or how he hits it, he is hustling."

The fifth inning would prove to belong to Williamsport catcher Nate McHue. The Cutter catcher would make noise at the plate, corking an RBI triple that one hopped off the right field wall before scoring home off of a wild pitch.

Mexico would scrape a pair of runs across the second half of the game, getting a tally in the seventh on an Emiliano Ibarra single and a mark in the eighth with a Jorge Ramirez single.

But it would prove to stay consolation, with Williamsport reliever Jacob Limas closing out a fourth straight win for Williamsport.

The win moves Williamsport to 6-5 on the season, placing them up to third in the MLB Draft League standings with Mahoning Valley (7-5) and the Trenton Thunder (9-2) sitting not too far ahead. The Cutters will look to continue their winning ways Tuesday, as they host the Scrappers in a crucial three-game set.

Starting at /week.