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Cropdusters Defeat Thunderbolts in Gritty Midweek Contest
Written by Mahaley Wise
Wednesday’s matchup between the Cropdusters and Thunderbolts was a hard-fought battle that highlighted both teams’ defensive grit and offensive firepower. In the end, the Cropdusters prevailed, 10-4, outmatching the Thunderbolts with timely hitting, standout pitching, and steady field performances.
Andrew Kell (Salisbury) started the first inning for the Cropdusters with a single. He moved into scoring position with a stolen base, and then again moved to third on a wild pitch, eager to make it home. Jimmy Kirk (Millersville) was the one to bring him home on a single. The Thunderbolts shut down the inning before the Cropdusters could score anymore and left the field with a score of 1-0.
The Thunderbolts answered the Cropdusters’ early lead with four runs. Josh Erd scored the first run on a sacrifice fly sent to right field by Steve Thomas (Catholic). Vance Bonior (UMass Amherst) and Brady Grimes (Millersville) followed with back-to-back walks to load the bases. An error by the Cropdusters' third baseman allowed Thomas and Bonior to score. Another error followed, allowing Grimes to score and dooming the Cropdusters to a three-run deficit, 4-1. However, the Cropdusters managed to work their way out of the inning with a barehanded catch by their pitcher. The Thunderbolts left the bases loaded, hoping the damage inflicted this inning would be enough.
It proved to come back to haunt them as the Cropdusters scored six runs in the next inning. Koy Swanson (Gaston College) and Cadeyrn Ahearn (Lehigh) started the inning with back-to-back singles. Kell hit his second single of the game to bring in Ahearn. Ahmaad Duff (Alabama) scored on an error by Thunderbolts’ shortstop to tie the game. Kirk followed with a double to bring in two more runs, giving the Cropdusters the edge. Rohne Klein (Utah) hit a clutch single, bringing home two more runners and earning the Cropdusters extra insurance. The inning finished with a score of 7-4, Cropdusters with the three-run advantage.
Both teams' defenses began to battle to keep the other one down. While the Thunderbolts still trailed, they made sure to keep the Cropdusters from extending their lead. Three innings passed with no runs scored. The Cropdusters pitcher, Gavin Lill (Millersville) gave an impressive performance with five strikeouts and no hits throughout three innings.
By the eighth inning, the game had all but stalled; few runners made it on base, fewer made it to scoring position, and none made it home. The crowd was quiet, almost asleep, until a loud crack rang through the stadium, coming from Kell’s bat, sending the ball over the left field wall. No doubt about it – gone! The Thunderbolts' left fielder was left standing at the fence watching the ball land on the other side. The Cropdusters had now doubled up the Thunderbolts’ score, 8-4.
Walker Zampella (East Stroudsburg) would score in the same inning after a wild pitch that would also send Kirk to first on a walk. The Thunderbolts were unable to add onto their early runs and fell behind the Cropdusters, never to catch up. The final score stacked up to be 10-4.
