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Cutters snap two-game skid by beating State College 6-2 on Saturday at Bowman

By NICOLAS SEVERINI 4 min read

The Williamsport Crosscutters snapped their two-game skid Saturday night, defeating the State College Spikes 6-2 at Bowman Field.

Following three early runs scored across the first two innings, a solid set of pitching made the difference as the Cutters hung on to first place in the MLB Draft League standings.

Williamsport would be pragmatic to start the game, reaching base at the top of the order from a Santino Panaro single. The leadoff man would advance to second on a wayward pickoff attempt by State College starter Charlie Smith. Facing third, a good jump led to a throw from catcher Ethan Swidler that sailed into left field, prompting Panaro to jog home for the opening run of the game.

With a run scored in the first, Williamsport's production continued in the second inning with the bottom of the order. Placed seventh in the lineup, Nick Barone would put an asterisk on his .211 average in August when he ripped a first-pitch double down the left-field line. Two pitches later, and the Loyalsock graduate would trot home after nine-hole hitter Joey DeMucci uncorked a one-run double that hopped off the left-field wall.

Williamsport would make it 3-0 later in the inning from a similar result. With Santino Panaro at second base and two outs, Chris Stanfield would chop a grounder to third, only for third baseman Blake Bradford to throw off the first base bag. State College's third error across the first two innings scored Panaro from second.

After conceding two straight runners to start the third, Smith would be pulled early. With the Spikes getting out of the jam, Smith finished with three runs conceded on five hits with a walk and a strikeout across two innings.

Following a pair of scoreless innings, Williamsport would get back on the board in the fifth starting with a leadoff James McCoy single. Two batters later and McCoy at second, second baseman Jack Kail would make it 4-0 when he ripped a one run single to center field.

After five spectacular innings without a run allowed, Williamsport starter Evan Grimes would start to feel the heat in the sixth inning. After a leadoff strikeout, the Spikes would load the bases with two outs on a Ryan Rivera walk and hit by pitches to Camden Ross and Blake Bradford. The Spikes would break there goose egg a batter later with Justin Journette, who recorded his third hit of the night on a two run single to left field that halved Williamsport's lead 4-2.

Grimes would have a line-drive catch back at him to escape the sixth, finishing with two runs allowed across six innings with five hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts.

Looking for a get back, the Cutters would do just that in the bottom of the sixth leading off with a Sam DeCarlo hit by pitch. The leadoff man would advance to second with two more outs for Chris Stanfield, who saved his lone hit of the night for a big occasion when he slapped a single to left field to bring in DeCarlo for a 5-2 game.

Not to be outdone, three-hole hitter James McCoy would extend his MLB Draft League leading RBI tally to 52 when he uncorked a triple that rolled to the left field wall. The three base slam scored Stanfield to increase the Cutters lead back to four.

Coming in for Grimes, Tyler Muscar would take the ball out of the pen and produce three scoreless innings to secure Williamsport's 26th win of the second half.

"It was (a relief)," discussed Williamsport manager Kenny Thomas on using just two pitchers in the win. "We obviously want to win the second half because no team has ever (done both.) And of course we want to win the championship game on Wednesday. I'm not denying the fact that I am trying to set up, but at the same time, win the second half because it’s very important to the organization."

The win moves Williamsport to 46-24 overall in the season, holding their advantage in the second-half standings while moving just two games away from the Draft League record for wins in a season.

The Cutters will hit the road on Sunday, squaring off against the Spikes before returning home against State College on Monday.

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