Doubledays Win Streak Ended by Williamsport

AUBURN, NY - Despite having two runners on and a runner in scoring position in the ninth, the Doubledays were not able to pull off any late-inning magic. Auburn fell to the Crosscutters after Williamsport notched a game-clinching run in the eighth inning to take the game, 4-3.

 
Starting pitcher Tim Cate got off to a slower start than usual. He allowed three runs to kick off the game on four hits, the first of which came off a double from Williamsport designated hitter Ben Aklinski. Jonathan Guzman singled to put the runner on third, and a sacrifice fly to bring in the Crosscutters' first run of the game.
Cate then allowed back-to-back RBI doubles by Danny Mayer and Jake Holmes, respectively, to put the Doubledays in a 3-0 deficit before the Auburn offense even took the field. While Cate has done a great job of keeping runners off the basepaths this season, opponents entered the game hitting .293/.341/.512 with runners on.
But Cate followed up his sloppy first innings with four excellent frames. He allowed just two hits over the course of his starts to give the Doubledays a chance to fight back in the third and fourth innings.
Catcher Adalberto Carrillo started the third by working a walk from Williamsport starting pitcher Jhordany Mezquita and scored all the way from first base off a Jose Sanchez double. The Doubledays ended up juicing the bags with two outs, but a flyout from left fielder Pablo O'Connor ended the inning.
The Doubledays' momentum moved into the next inning as Carson Shaddy led off the fourth with a double to center field. Big man Jamori Blash followed Shaddy up with a triple to bring him home, and Carrillo barrelled up a single that hugged the left field foul line to score Blash and tie the game.
Crosscutters manager Pat Borders was tossed following the play after a heated discussion with home plate umpire Tyler Witte, likely regarding whether the ball was fair or foul.
It turned into a pitcher's duel from that point onward as Nector Ramirez and Chandler Day combined to go two scoreless innings, while Crosscutters reliever Tyler Carr went two scoreless himself.
In his second inning of work, however, things got a bit shaky for Day after allowing a one-out double to Danny Mayer. Jake Holmes followed him up with a single to put runners at the corners, and a Bryan Gonzalez groundout put the Crosscutters ahead of the Doubledays, 4-3.
Auburn gave its best efforts to make things interesting in the ninth. Moisés Sierra came through with a single up the middle with two outs, and Jacob Rhinesmith blooped a ball to right field to put him into scoring position. But the rally ended the next at-bat, as Pablo O'Connor flew out to deep center field to end the game.
The Doubledays will be back in action Monday for Game 2 against the Crosscutters at 6:30.