Williamsport Crosscutters Need One Swipe of the Bat to Beat the Vermont Lake Monsters 2-1

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com- BURLINGTON, VT --- The difference on Wednesday night at historic Centennial Field was that one home run came with a runner aboard and the other with the bases empty as the Williamsport Crosscutters used a two-run homer to defeat the Vermont Lake Monsters 2-1 in New York-Penn League action.

The Crosscutters would get their only two runs of the game in the top of the second inning as Troy Hanzawa walked with two outs and Daniel Hargrove followed with a two-run homer to leftfield off Lake Monsters starter Ricardo Pecina (0-2). It was the first home run of the season for Hargrove, who entered the game hitting just .116 (7-for-61) with two RBI in 17 games.

Vermont answered in the bottom of the second with a two-out solo home run from Blake Stouffer. It was Stouffer's third home run of the season with all three coming at Centennial Field.
 
Both pitching staffs would take over after the Stouffer home run as each team had just one hit over the final seven innings.  Williamsport starter Freddy Ballestas (2-0), who entered the game with a 6.75 ERA in his first fve starts. allowed one run on two hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts in his six innings for the win.

Your Ad Here

He was followed to the mound by two new additions to the Crosscutters from the Gulf Coast League. Sean Grieve struckout one in his one inning of relief, while Jordan Ellis had four strikeouts in his two innings for the save. The three Williamsport pitchers combined to issue no walks and strikeout 15 Lake Monster batters, including seven punchouts looking.

Pecina allowed just the two runs on the homer with three hits, three walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings to take the loss. Reliever Jose Pinales struckout three in his 2 1/3 innings, while Kevin Light worked out of a runner on third with no outs jam in the ninth with a groundout and two strikeouts.

After the Stouffer home run in the second, Vermont had just two base runners over the final seven innings. Michael Guererro had a leadoff single in the fifth and was stranded at second base with two outs, while Dani Arias reached second base on a throwing error to lead off the sixth and couldn't advance any further.

The loss coupled with an Oneonta 4-1 win over Brooklyn cuts the Lake Monsters lead in the Stedler Division to just one game over the Tigers.  Vermont will host Williamsport again on Thursday beginning at 7:05 pm with Tommy Milone (1-1, 4.97 ERA) scheduled to start for the Lake Monsters agaisnt the CrossCutters Robert Roth (5-0, 1.05 ERA).

Box Score: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_07_16_wptasx_verasx_1

If you like the daily news of the Raw Feed, SUBSCRIBE TODAY to the nation's only alternative professional sports magazine, SZ, with original features and great action photography in baseball, hockey, basketball, and football. Just $11.99 per year for an e-zine like you’ve never seen!