Williamsport Crosscutters Rally to Defeat West Virginia Black Bears 9-7
On Wednesday night, the Williamsport Crosscutters erased a four-run deficit to defeat the West Virginia Black Bears 9-7 in Draft League action at Historic Bowman Field. Propelled by a five-run seventh inning and a stabilizing bullpen performance, the home team secured a dramatic comeback victory in front of 1,308 fans.
A Rocky Start and Early Deficit at Historic Bowman Field
The visiting West Virginia squad seized control early in the contest. According to coverage from the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, the Black Bears loaded the bases in the opening frame with no outs after a Cayden Gaskin hit-by-pitch alongside singles from Kevin Jones and Ben Barrett. Williamsport starting pitcher Ryker Walton worked out of a 5-2-3 double play, but Cole Kitchens immediately followed with a two-run single to put West Virginia on the board.
The pressure continued into the second inning. Singles from Jackson Trout and Noah Jouras set the table before Gaskin legged out an infield single that clipped Walton’s foot, scoring Trout. Three batters later, a sacrifice fly to center field by Thompson brought home Jouras, extending the Black Bears’ lead to 4-0. Walton exited after three innings, charged with four runs on nine hits and two strikeouts.
West Virginia faced a late disruption when scheduled ace Cameron Padgett was signed earlier in the afternoon by the Boston Red Sox, as reported by the Sun-Gazette. Aydan Decker-Petty stepped in as a late addition for his first summer start. After two scoreless frames, Decker-Petty surrendered his first damage in the third when James McCoy ripped a double to left field, scoring Joey DeMucci to put Williamsport on the scoreboard.
Bullpen Dominance and the Seventh-Inning Surge
Relief pitching proved pivotal in shifting momentum. Williamsport reliever Matthew Mariano tossed three scoreless innings through the fourth, fifth, and sixth, keeping the Black Bears at bay while the Crosscutters mounted their comeback.
Williamsport manager Kenny Thomas noted the strategic flexibility Mariano provides, explaining to the Sun-Gazette, “We’ve used him as a middle to long reliever.”
The home team’s bats erupted in the fifth. DeMucci notched his second straight hit from the nine-hole spot, stole second, and scored on a slicing single to right field by Owen Prince. Prince then stole second and scored on a single to center by McCoy, cutting the deficit to 4-3. Though West Virginia added a run in the top of the seventh on a bloop single by Kitchens, the Crosscutters answered decisively in the home half.
With a crowd of 1,308 watching, Chris Stanfield singled and Prince walked to set the table. McCoy cleared the bases with a double to right-center field, tying the game and igniting the dugout.
Contagious Momentum Secures the Comeback Win
Williamsport completed the comeback frame, parlaying their bullpen stability into a multi-run advantage that protected the late lead. The contagious nature of the offensive outburst defined the evening.
“We talk a lot of times about contagious.”
The West Virginia Black Bears finished the night out-hitting their opponents with 17 hits, yet defensive miscues and late bullpen struggles allowed Williamsport to secure the 9-7 final.