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Crosscutters drop 8-5 contest to State College at Bowman Field on Tuesday

By NICOLAS SEVERINI 4 min read

The Williamsport Crosscutters dropped their series-finale contest to the State College Spikes, losing 8-5 at Bowman Field. In a game that lacked much action through the first five innings, it would be an impregnable three home runs in a four at-bat stretch that catapulted the Spikes into the win column.

"In the last four games, some part of our pitching hadn't been good," admitted Williamsport Crosscutter manager Kenny Thomas. "Today, it was the sixth inning of our starter."

A budding pitcher's dual would be silenced by the visitors in the third inning with State College loading the bases with one out on singles from Elie Kligman and Nyan Hayes parlayed with a Trent Turner walk. The Spikes would manage a pair of runs scored in the frame, with CJ Richmond bringing a runner in on a fielder's choice and Camden Ross making it 2-0 on an RBI single to right field.

Williamsport's response would come in the bottom of the third, starting with a leadoff Matthew Williams double. Williams would advance home on back to back ground outs, with a Jake Zitella grounder to first bringing Williams to third and a Joey DeMucci chopper to second officially scoring the power hitter.

After a pair of scoreless innings, State College would extend their lead in emphatic fashion. With Williamsport starter Kenney Fabian going through the order for the third time, both CJ Richmond and Camden Ross would prove they got their batter's eye.

Richmond would introduce himself first, uncorking a no doubt 431 foot bomb to right field to start the frame.

Not to be outdone, Camden Ross would give the recently sent out ball some company when he torched a ball 376 feet to left field for back to back home runs.

But the best would prove yet to come for State College. A hit by pitch and meeting at the mound later, and Justin Journette would produce the longest hit ball in the history of the MLB Draft League. On a middle-middle fastball, Journette would send the leather 467 feet off of the middle of the batters eye in center field.

Thomas would already be halfway to the mound to relieve Fabian before Journette crossed home. In total, Fabian conceded six runs on seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

State College would manage two more runs with Frankie Sanchez in relief on a Trent Turner sacrifice fly that scored Luke Nomura and a CJ Richmond double, his second extra base hit of the inning, that brought in Elie Kligman.

When the dust settled, it was State College leading 8-1 and the firestorm of runs outpacing the incoming rain in the forecast.

"(Fabian) was pitching pretty good. He had about 57 pitches thrown so I thought he was good, and then boom," described Thomas. "It happened quickly. Boom, boom, boom, three in a row. It's hard to understand, really."

With the run support, State College starter Lex Kenny was relieved after five innings of work. Coming into the game with a 12.00 ERA, the starter would finish allowing just one run on four hits with one strikeout.

Attempting to spark a comeback, Carson Bayne's debut in the top of the order would prove reasonable when he laced a one out triple that hopped off the right field wall. Bayne would score later in the inning from James McCoy, who reached on an infield single for a 8-2 score.

Matthew Williams would continue his fast start into the ninth inning. With one out and a runner on, Williams would blast his second home run of the season on a swing that took the ball just to the left of the right field foul pole.

A batter later and Williamsport looked to continue the rally when Jake Zitella laced a double to right field. After a strikeout, it would become a three run game when Carson Bayne popped an RBI double to left field. It was Baynes’ third hit of the night and second to go for extra bases.

But reliever Patrick Morris would leave it at that, striking out Sam DeCarlo to halt the late rally.

The loss drops Williamsport to 7-4 on the second half season, with Aberdeen moving a game and half in first place after their 7-2 win against Mahoning Valley earlier in the day.

After Wednesday's off day, the Cutters will travel to Trenton for a three game road stand before returning to Bowman Field on Sunday.

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