Williamsport, P.A.- For the second time this season, the Crosscutters were swept at home, this time against the Batavia Muckdogs, falling 13-5 in tonight’s series finale.
Francisco Morales was roughed up in his shortest outing of the season, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks in the top of the 1st inning, as the Muckdogs jumped out to an early 3-0 lead.
Demitrius Sims drew a lead off walk in the 2nd inning against Morales. He then stole 2nd base and after advancing on a ground out, the Batavia shortstop scored on a Morales wild pitch to give the Muckdogs a 4-0 advantage.
Batavia broke out the long ball against Morales in the top of the 3rd inning, as Sean Reynolds drove a 3-1 offering the other way for a lead off home run, extending the lead to 5-0. J.D. Osborne followed up, sending a 3-1 offering into the Muckdogs bullpen, upping the lead to 6-0 on the first two home runs allowed by Morales this season.
Tyler Carr entered with no outs in the 3rd, striking out the first two he faced and then ended the inning with a ground out, limiting the damage to just a 6-run deficit.
The Muckdogs got to Carr in the top of the 4th inning, getting a two-run home run from Chris Torres, making it a 8-0 Muckdogs lead. Batavia added on more in the frame, as Osborne scored Jerar Encarnacion with a two-out single to make it 9-0.
Williamsport’s first true threat came in the bottom of the 5th inning, loading the bases with one out. Brayan Hernandez plated Madison Stokes with a sacrifice fly to center, cutting the deficit to 9-1 and giving the Gonzalez his team-leading 18th RBI.
That would be the only run the Cutters would score in the inning, as Jesus Henriquez grounded out to short to end the frame.
The Cutters chipped away more in the bottom of the 5th inning, thanks to Madison Stokes RBI double to right field, scoring Keudy Bocio, making it a 9-2 deficit.
The scoring in the bottom of the 5th was highlighted by Ben Pelletier‘s two-run blast that rang off of the BB&T Ballpark sign beyond the left field wall. It was Pelletier’s 2nd home run of the season and gave him his 17th and 18th RBI of the season, making it a 9-4 deficit.
Batavia plated two more runs in each of the 6th and 7th innings against Cutters reliever Oscar Marcelino, as the Muckdogs ran their lead to 13-4. All four runs were earned against Marcelino.
Williasmport against chipped away at the deficit in the bottom of the 7th inning, loading the bases with two outs for Seth Lancaster, who drew his third walk of the night, forcing him Stokes to make it a 13-5 game on Lancaster’s 5th RBI of the season.
Brayan Gonzalez struck out looking to end the last Cutters threat of the night, as Williamsport would go down in order in each the 8th and the 9th innings, falling to the Batavia Muckdogs for the third consecutive night.
The Crosscutters open a three-game series against the West Virginia Balck Bears tomorrow night at BB&T Ballpark, with first pitch scheduled at 7:05 p.m.
Cutter Carvings – The Crosscutters were swept by the Auburn Doubledays on July 1-3… The 13 runs, the 17 hits and the three home runs allowed are all season-highs for the Crosscutters… Rafael Marchan had his 17-game on base streak and his 8-game hit streak ended, going 0-3 before being lifted in the 7th…
