Jul 24, 2025
Max Mandler of the Williamsport Crosscutters is safe at first as Jace Rinehart of the Black Bears tries to make the tag in the 5th inning at Journey Bank Ballpark. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
The Williamsport Crosscutters couldn’t hold on to an early advantage Thursday night, dropping a heartbreaker against the West Virginia Black Bears 3-3 at Historic Bowman Field, with West Virginia winning via sudden death.
It was the first home game for Williamsport that featured the MLB Draft League’s sudden death rule. In this half inning tie breaker, one team would bat with a runner on first and no outs. If the batting team gets a run across, they win, with the pitching team clinching the game if they end the half inning without conceding a run.
The home team gets to choose before the game which plays which and, in the case of that evening, it would be Williamsport pitching.
In sudden death, after throwing 58 pitches in regulation, Isaac Fix would be the pitcher for Williamsport, with the designated runner being David Coppedge.
“He’s our best reliever,” echoed Williamsport Crosscutter manager Kenny Thomas. “The only reason I sent him back out there was because I knew if I put one of the other guys up they would steal second. I thought my best bet was to leave him in there and try to get the bunt.”
Jackson Mayo of the Williamsport Crosscutters hits a single in the third inning against the Black Bears at Journey Bank Ballpark. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
The runner would move to third on one swing, when a bad throw on a bunt back to the pitcher moved the winning run across.
“Everyone in this stadium knew he was going to bunt,” said Thomas. “And we pick it up and throw it in right field. I don’t know what else to say about that.”
An intentional walk would load the bases, prompting a rare move of replacing Fix for another reliever in Jared Ure.
Ure would force a shallow flyout to power hitting Alex Ungar, before pinch hitter Judah Morris would crank a line drive to left center. The base hit scored Coppadge, granting the win to West Virginia.
“Our pitcher’s pitch selection is terrible,” admitted Thomas. “We don’t call the pitches for them like we do in college… they want us to let the pitchers learn: well we are learning the hard way.”
Max Mandler of the Williamsport Crosscutters hits an RBI single in the third inning against West Virginia at Journey Bank Ballpark. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
For the first time in the series, Billtown would take an early lead thanks to power hitter Jackson Mayo. Mayo had led the way for the Cutters at the plate in the second half, and showed why when he ripped a ball into the left field bullpen. Mayo’s solo shot was his first of the campaign.
Williamsport’s catching injury bug would catch another victim in the top of the third. Las Vegas native Chrisian Reyes, who was making his return to the lineup following a head injury in the week prior, would take a foul ball in an area that was best not to be named. The 19 year old would be helped off the field, being replaced by John Flaherty.
“He’s going to be pretty sore,” admitted Thomas. “It’s gonna be sore for a few days.”
The Cutters would alleviate some of the pain in the bottom of the third inning, leading off with back to back singles from Vantrel Reed and Jackson Mayo that put runners at the corners. Reed would come in to score in the next at bat, when Marcus Brodil grounded softly to third. Attempting to make a play, third baseman David Coppedge would fire home, only for the throw to take catcher Jake Berg away from his position, allowing Reed to score.
Two batters and a double steal later, and Mayo would come into score on another grounder that did not leave the infield. Max Mandler’s grounder would again come to third baseman David Coppedge, who would fumble the exchange in what was ruled an RBI single to make it 3-0 Cutters.
Vantrel Reed of the Williamsport Crosscutters celebrates scoring in the third inning against West Virginia at Journey Bank Ballpark. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
The run support set a nice platform for Cutters starter Brad Rudis, with the right hander going six innings without allowing a run off of three hits with five strikeouts. West Virginia starter Jake Lynch would make it five innings, earning all three runs on seven hits and two walks.
But Williamsport instantly blew the lead when turning to their bullpen after Rudis, starting with a pair of walks to Alex Rodgers and Jake Berg against reliever Isaac Fix.
A strikeout later, and a potential Jace Rinehart double play ball would be for not when Carlos Castillo was unable to haul in a throw from second baseman Vantrel Reed, allowing the quick Rodgers to score.
The game would be tied two pitches later courtesy of David Coppedge, who laced a double to the right field wall that would clear the bases.
“Relief pitching’s how you win,” echoed Thomas. “We were up three-nothing, walked the first two batters, then the nine hole hitter hit one off the wall on us, next thing you know, it is tied up. And we don’t do anything from there.”
Carlos Castillo of the Williamsport Crosscutters is safe at second on the steal during the 6th inning against West Virginia at Journey Bank Ballpark. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
That score would stand past nine innings, with West Virginia ultimately clinching the win on the Draft League’s sudden death tiebreaker.
The sudden death showdown was the second time this season the Williamsport would partake in. The other occasion, June 27th against Frederick, was also a defeat.
The loss moved Williamsport back under .500 on the second half season with a 4-5 mark, planting the Cutters into the bottom half of the Draft League standings. Williamsport will look to prevent the sweep Friday night, when they host the Black Bears in the final game of a three game set at Bowman Field.
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