Cutters Come Up Short

Williamsport, P.A.- Despite gaining an early lead, the Crosscutters were unable to stave of the Hudson Valley Renegades, falling 3-2 to open the series.

Danny Mayer started the Cutters bottom of the 2^nd inning, drawing a walk against Renegades starter Blake Pflughaupt, and taking 2nd base on a wild pitch. Jesse Wilkening plated Mayer with a RBI single to right field, advancing to 2^nd on the throw home. Keudy Bocio followed with a RBI single to right, chasing home Wilkening to give the Cutters a 2-0 advantage.
Manuel Silva faced the minimum threw his first two innings, giving up walk and striking out two before the Renegades bats got to the Cutters starter, plating a pair of runs in the top of the 3^rd inning to knot the game at 2-2. Scoring a run on a Silva wild pitch and the other on a sacrifice fly.
Silva finished the night, allowing the two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out five over five innings of work, taking the no decision.
Rafael Carvajal worked back-to-back scoreless frames to open his night out of the Crosscutters bullpen. It the top of the 8^th inning, Carvajal was relieved by Keylan Killgore after allowing a one-out single to Ford Proctor.
The Crosscutters defense had some fine plays behind thier pithcers, including a textbook relay in the top of the 6^th inning, as Ben Aklinski hit his cut off man, Brayan Gonzalez, who sent an absolute seed to home plate to nab the would be go-ahead run.
Killgore allowed a double to the right-center gap to Chris Betts, scoring Proctor from 1^st base to give the Renegades a 3-2 lead in the top of the 8^th inning. It was the only base runner that Killgore would allow on the evening, retiring the next five batters he faced in order.
Carvajal finished the night allowing the one run on three hits and striking out one, while Killgore worked 1.2 innings of shutout relief, striking out two. Neither Cutters reliever allowed a walk in the contest
Williamsport did not see a batter reach base in the 8^th or the 9^th innings, failing to threaten a come-from-behind victory in the series opener.
The Crosscutters continue their three-game series against the Hudson Valley Renegades tomorrow night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field.
Cutter Carvings - The Cutters fell to 5-5 in games against non-Pinckney division opponents... Brayan Gonzalez struck out four times, giving him 50 strikeouts in 107 at bats... Madison Stokes finished the night 3-4 with a pair of doubles...