SCRAPPERS CANT CRACK CROSSCUTTERS CODE

By Ty Bartell

NILES OH- The Mahoning Valley Scrappers dropped the second game of a two-game set to the Williamsport Crosscutters by a final score of 8-3 on Sunday afternoon, as the Cutters swept the series.

Max Banks got the start for Mahoning Valley on the mound, while the Crosscutters countered with Connor Shouse. Both teams managed to scratch across a run in the first inning. Williamsport struck first with a Jacob Corson RBI double, scoring Max Mandler. Mahoning Valley responded in the bottom half with a Beau Ankeney RBI single, plating Max Johnson to tie the game 1-1.

In the top of the third, Williamsport resorted to the power game once again as Jackson Mayo blasted his third home run of the season and second of the series, a two-run shot that made it 3-1 Crosscutters. The next batter, Anthony Stephan, crushed one to right-center that bounced off the scoreboard as back-to-back jacks put Williamsport up 4-1. The Scrappers answered in the bottom of the inning when Jared Quandt hit an RBI triple down the right field line, scoring Max Johnson. Quandt then came home on a Beau Ankeney RBI sacrifice fly, cutting the lead to 4-3 after three innings.

Following a scoreless fourth, the Crosscutters added two runs in the top of the fifth with RBI singles from both Anthony Stephan and Zane Becker, increasing their lead to 6-3. In the top of the seventh, Williamsport added two more runs. Stephan brought home his third RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly, and Carter Dorighi brought Jackson Mayo home with an RBI single, making it 8-3.

Williamsport’s pitching shut down the Scrappers’ lineup for the remainder of the game, emerging victorious 8-3 and effectively taking both games of the set against Mahoning Valley. The Scrappers (13-15) now hit the road to State College (16-14) to begin a three-game series with the Spikes on Tuesday, July 9