Fumbled grounders, poor swings and forgetful outings all compartmentalize themselves into the rapid pace of the first-half season with prospects looking to make a good impression ahead of the upcoming MLB Draft.

Two pitching outings from Wednesday night’s contest between the Williamsport Crosscutters and State College Spikes exemplify this fact.

For the visiting Spikes, about a third of Major League Baseball were represented by scouts ahead of the first and only pitching appearance for star Connor Griffin. A highly touted pitcher out of Binghamton, Griffin’s piercing fastball and side to side breaking ball offerings were expected to make his only outing as a Spike a smooth endeavor.

But such feats are rare in the Draft League, and Griffin would wind up finding out as the projected top-10 rounds draft pick conceded two runs in two innings while allowing two hits, three walks, and two hit by pitches.

Pitcher David Horn of the Crosscutters pitches to the Spikes in his final outing as a Crosscutter at Bowman Field. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

But that is the reality of the MLB Draft League. With every prospect hungry to prove themselves, no at-bat, no out, no pitch is ever given to you.

And for further proof of that, Griffin would only have to look at the other side of the diamond and what occurred prior to his stint.

Williamsport starter David Horn Jr. was having the summer of his life in Crosscutter colors. Heading into his final summer season with the MLB Draft looming, Horn was coming off of one season as a full-time starter for Middle Tennessee State, Horn’s third collegiate program after stints with Vanderbilt and San Diego.

But four quality starts and a primary starter-best 5.25 earned run average later, and Horn was given the opportunity to wear the Crosscutter colors for the first half.

And it would turn into a dream story for the right hander. Across his first three appearances with the Crosscutters, Horn bewildered opposing bats with a piercing fastball that touches over 90 miles an hour and a breaking ball pitch in the 80s that more often than not leaves batters swinging at air. Going into Wednesday night’s contest, Horn’s one run allowed across three starts that saw 12 innings and 18 strikeouts were prompting the record books to be dusted off and a legacy to be fulfilled.

But nothing ever comes easy in the MLB Draft League.

With 17 previous starts, 84 innings pitched and 383 batters faced already on the calendar year between college and the Draft League, the fatigue looked to have been settled in on the night. With State College batters hungry for a get back, they would show their stride against Horn, forcing good contact, long at-bats, and steady eyes that pierced through Horn’s once impregnable pitching.

By the time Williamsport Crosscutter manager Kenny Thomas walked out to the mound to raise his right hand at the bullpen in the third inning, Horn had conceded a pair of runs on four hits, three walks, while leaving the bases juiced. Two more runs would come across in the frame, leaving Horn’s final line at four runs allowed and an earned run average jumping from below 1 to a 2.45.

But even in a defeated outing, there was something memorable from Horn’s appearance. Even in his struggles Horn never wavered, never feared the next batter, and never seemed to have wanted to leave the mound. There was a noticeable delay from when manager Kenny Thomas came to the mound to when Horn eventually made his exit, almost stepping over himself like he never wanted to leave.

“I went out there in the second inning to take Horn out. I got out there and I said ‘Man, you battled,'” Thomas said. “And that is all I can ever ask for. You didn’t have your stuff tonight but you battled, and that is all I could ever ask for.”

And that, ultimately, is what it takes to succeed in this sport at a high level. A willingness to compete, a stubbornness to want to keep going, and a next-batter-faced mentally that mistakes can be rectified.

On a night that saw scouts come for one star pitcher, those with the advanced analytics and radar guns also saw a competitiveness in Horn that is professional baseball worthy.