Yankees drop series finale to Williamsport, 6-3
After taking the first two games of the series, the Staten Island Yankees (17-17) dropped their final matchup with the Williamsport Crosscutters (18-16), 6-3.
The Crosscutters got on the board in the first frame as Aaron Brown knocked a double to center field off Staten Island starter David Palladino, followed by a Matt Shortall RBI single to left. Williamsport's Wilmer Oberto kept the scoring alive with a ground-rule double to right field to bring Shortall home.
Staten Island answered right back in the bottom of the first as the Baby Bombers got a leadoff walk from Devyn Bolasky against Crosscutter starting pitcher Chris Oliver. The Williamsport defense committed two of the team's four errors in the inning as Jan Hernandez and Drew Stankiewicz allowed Vicente Conde and Ty McFarland to reach base, loading it up for Chris Breen. The Yankees missed on an early opportunity as Breen grounded into a double play that scored Bolasky, but that was the only run the team gained in the inning.
Williamsport added to their lead in the top of the fourth inning as Rhys Hoskins hit his third home run of the season off Paladino.
The Crosscutters sent Feliberto Sanchez to the mound in the bottom of the fourth, and Staten Island took advantage immediately. Catcher Collin Slaybaugh hit a single to left field then managed to make his way to third on back-to-back stolen bases. With Conde at the plate, Slaybaugh made it across the plate on a wild pitch by Sanchez. Conde did some work of his own as the shortstop reached base on a single to right field, then stole second to put himself in scoring position. McFarland tied the ball game by way of a double, his second of the game.
The game remained tied until the top of the seventh when Crosscutter Chase Harris started the inning by reaching second on a Brady Steiger throwing error. Stankiewicz managed to bring Harris home as he hit a single to right field off Yankee reliever Sam Agnew-Wieland (L, 1-4).
The Crosscutters added some insurance runs in the eighth inning as Oberto reached on a walk, then stole second to put himself in scoring position for Wilson Garcia who also hit a single to bring home the run. Harris kept the inning alive for Williamsport as he singled to right field to plate Garcia, giving the Philadelphia Phillies affiliate their ultimate lead, 6-3.
Staten Island continues the six-game homestand on Saturday night as the team welcomes Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate, the Jamestown Jammers, to Richmond County Bank Ballpark. Free 15th Anniversary All-Time Great card set, Series 1, will be given away to the first 2,500 fans in the ballpark courtesy of Gold's. Series 1 of the card set features former Baby Bomber pitchers Chien-Ming Wang, Jason Arnold, Pat Venditte and Ryan Bicondoa. Also, there will be free fireworks following the conclusion of the game.