Williamsport, P.A. – For the second-straight night the Cutters were unable to hold on to a late lead against State College, falling 9-7, dropping the series to the rival Spikes.
Williamsport jumped on State College starter Jake Dahlberg in the bottom of the 2nd inning, using four consecutive hits to plate three runs and give starter Francisco Morales an early 3-0 lead.
Jonathan Guzman collected a RBI with a double to score Ben Pelletier, giving Guzman his 5th RBI of the season. Brayan Gonzalez plated the final two runs with a single to center, scoring both Matt Kroon and Guzman, giving Gonzalez six RBI on the season.
State College responded with three runs of their own in the top of the 3rd inning against Morales, taking advantage of three walks in the inning.
Edwin Figuera scored on a Morales wild pitch, making it 3-1. Stanley Espinal continued his hot hitting against the Crosscutters with a two-run single to center, tying the game at 3-3. Morales was able to strand a pair of Spikes runners, keeping the game tied.
Morales was relieved in the top of the 4th inning, working 3.2 innings, allowing thre runs on five hits and three walks while striking out five.
The Spikes added a run in the top of the 5th inning against Cutters reliever Tyler Carr, as Espinal plated Wood Myers with a RBI single giving the Spikes a 4-3 lead.
The Cutters had an answer in the bottom of the 6th inning, plating four runs to retake the lead against the Spikes bullpen.
Danny Mayer opened the inning with a ringing triple off the left-center field wall to set up the inning. Ben Pelletier scored Mayer with a fielder’s choice on a ball off the glove of the Spikes 3rd basemen Edwin Figuera. Pelletier reached 2nd base on a throwing error by Figuera, trying to nab Mayer at the plate. For Pelletier it was his eighth RBI of the season.
Jonathan Guzman ripped a triple to right field, scoring Pelletier making to give the Cutters a 5-4 lead and for Guzman it was his sixth RBI of the season on his third triple of the season.
Brayan Gonzalez followed with a RBI single to right-center, scoring Guzman to extend the Williamsport lead to 6-4. For Gonzalez it was his seventh RBI of the season.
Jesse Wilkening plated Gonzalez with a double, high off the wall in left, to give the Cutters a 7-4 lead on Wilkening’s first double of the season and his first RBI.
The Williamsport bullpen ran into troubles in the top of the 8th inning, allowing the Spikes to cross five runs to take a 9-7 lead. State College took advantage of four walks and a bases loaded hit by pitch to erase the three-run deficit and take the two-run lead.
Williamsport got the tying run to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the 9th inning, trying to return the favor, but could not plates the runs as they fell 9-7 in the rubber match of the series.
The Crosscutters start a new series as they welcome in the Auburn Doubledays into BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field tomorrow evening. First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.
Cutter Carvings – The Spikes take a 4-2 lead in the 2018 Saw-Buck Series… The Crosscutters are now 5-3 when leading after six innings and 6-4 when leading after 7 innings…Ben Pelletier has recorded three-straight multi-hit games, recording two hits in all three games…
