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Cutters close weekend with loss, as defense falters against Trenton

By NICOLAS SEVERINI 5 min read

The Williamsport Crosscutters suffered a rare late game collapse Sunday afternoon, splitting a two game set with the Trenton Thunder 13-7 at Historic Bowman Field.

In what appeared to be another cruise of a win for the Cutters, a staggering 11 conceded runs over the last two innings of the contest skyrocketed the Thunder ahead for a dramatic victory.

"We shouldn't have even been ahead 7-2 in the seventh because we had just one clean inning today," admitted Williamsport Crosscutter Manager Kenny Thomas. "Bullpens win championships, and the bullpen failed us badly today."

After a scoreless first inning, the Thunder would again make the first mark of the game in the second inning. With Louis Percival leading off, the catcher would rope a double to left field. After a groundout escorted the catcher to third, Percival would come home a batter later from a Jake Koonin double down the left field line.

The Thunder would bring more storm clouds in the frame, loading the bases on walks issued to Mike Hooley and Sam Gates. With Williamsport starter Evan Grimes attempting to get out of the jam, the starter instead tossed a wild pitch that doubled Trenton's lead. With two more still in scoring position, a mound visit calmed the starters' nerves with an inning ending groundout to limit the damage.

Not to be outdone, the Cutters would break their goose egg just two pitches into the bottom of the frame. Continuing his electric run of form, cleanup batter James McCoy fired Williamsport on the board on an opposite field 421 foot home run. McCoy's third home run in the last three weeks made it a 2-1 game.

The power would prove contagious. After a Nick Barone single put a runner on, power hitting Matthew Williams would blast the Cutter ahead when he uncorked a 388 foot blast that careened off the Journey Bank Ballpark sign in left field. Williams' blast was his first home run as a Cutter and gave Williamsport their first lead of the afternoon.

Williamsport would add further damage an inning later, loading the bases with one out on a Jake Kail single, James McCoy walk, and Nick Barone single. From there, the Cutters traded an out for a run on a Carson Bayne fielder's choice that scored Kail. Williamsport would complete the production with their eyes, reaching on back to back walks from Matthew Williams and Jake Zitella that brought in another for a 5-2 lead.

Williamsport's offensive slate continued in the fourth inning, with five singles recorded from the first six at bats of the frame allowing two more runs to score.

But one of the more memorable moments of the contest would take place in the top of the frame. Trenton would show promise, loading the bases with one out and Grimes still pitching. Trying to find control, Grimes would misplace a slider behind the back of batter Sam Gates, only for the ball to inexplicably hit off the bat of Gates and into fair territory. In a moment where everyone stopped but the batter and the pitcher, Gates would make it safe to first while Grimes fielded and stepped on home plate for the out. Trenton would end up stranding the runners.

Grimes would survive the fourth before being pulled, conceding two runs on five hits with three walks and a strikeout.

After three shutout innings from reliever Michael Mariano, Trenton would bring storm clouds in the eigth inning. Now against Davin Pollard, the Thunder would load the bases with two outs on a Sam Gates walk, Julian Swift single, and Louis Percival walk. With just one swing, second baseman Drew Wyers would make it a ball game once again when he turned on a fastball deep to right field and into the visitors bullpen. Wyers's grand slam was his first home run of the season and third hit of the game, raising his batting average on the season from .143 to .240.

Onto the ninth against Williamsport closer Luc Lavigueur, the Thunder would quickly put their first two batters on with walks to Casen Taggart and Sam Gates. The feeling of dread would properly be felt an at-bat later, with a four pitch walk to JuJu Stevens loading the bases.

Inexplicably, Lavigueur was pulled from the game with nothing but three walks to his resume, prompting a sudden appearance from Brodey Roe.

But the pitching change would be for not. With Julian Swift in his six plate appearance of the night, he would uncork his fourth hit with a double in the gap to score two runs and give Trenton their first lead of the game. AJ Swader would put the game out of reach a batter later, blooping another two run single, this time to right field, for a 10-7 Trenton lead.

If Swift was the gut punch, and Swader was the jab, then Jake Koonin would be the one to provide the uppercut. After a Drew Wyers angle, Koonin would bring three more runs in when he torched a changeup 389 feet past the left field wall for his fourth homerun of the year.

"You can't win like that," Thomas described. "They are either gonna learn or it's gonna have to change... Maybe they weren't prepared today. Well, by George , they'll be prepared tomorrow, I can tell you that."

The loss moved Williamsport to 6-3 on the season, dropping them behind the Aberdeen Ironbirds for second place in the MLB Draft League Standings. The Cutters continue their home stand on Monday, with Williamsport hosting the State College Spikes in a two game set at Historic Bowman Field.

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