On the Comeback Trail

Renegades Overcome Two Run Deficit; Top Black Bears

WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY—The Hudson Valley Renegades bounced back from an early two-run deficit, then held on to defeat the West Virginia Black Bears 5-3 Sunday evening in front of 4,808 fans at Dutchess Stadium.  The Black Bears stranded 12 men on base in the game.

The game started as a pitcher’s duel as starting pitchers Jacob Lopez of Hudson Valley and Bear Bellomy of West Virginia kept the game scoreless through four innings.  However, the Renegades went to their bullpen in the fifth and that was when the Black Bears would pounce.  Shortstop Brett Kinneman walked to leadoff the inning, then scored two batters later when catcher Ryan Haug roped a double to right to score Kinneman from first. 

The Black Bears added to their lead in the sixth on an unearned run.  With one out, first baseman Will Matthiessen walked then went to second on a wild pitch.  After a strikeout for out number two, Kinneman reached on an infield single to second.  The throw to first from second baseman Cristhian Pedroza got by first baseman Jacson McGowan, which allowed Matthiesson to score and give West Virginia a 2-0 lead.  Pedroza was hit with a throwing error on the play.

Hudson Valley, though, would get off the deck with two runs in their half of the sixth to tie the game.  With two out and nobody on base, shortstop Ben Troike drew a walk.  Catcher Jonathan Embry came up next and laced a ball off the glove of West Virginia first baseman Brendt Citta that trickled down the rightfield line for a double as Troike went to third.  McGowan followed with a two-strike, two-run single to right to tie the game at two.

The Renegades would then take the lead with a three-run seventh.  Third baseman Mason Mallard started the frame with a resounding double to center.  Designated hitter Pedro Diaz came up next and grounded a single to left as Mallard advanced to third. Pedroza followed and bunted a ball that got through relief pitcher Trey McGough, which scored Mallard and advanced Diaz to second.  After a walk to leftfielder K.V. Edwards loaded the bases, centerfielder Garrett Hiott and Embry each lifted sacrifice flies to center and left respectively to increase the Hudson Valley lead to 5-2.

West Virginia tried to mount a rally in the eighth.  With one out, relief pitcher Joe LaSorsa issued three consecutive walks to load the bases.  Second baseman Dean Lockery then reached on a fielding error to third, which brought in a run and made the score 5-3.  But LaSorsa was able to get the next hitter, shortstop Ethan Paul, to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to get Hudson Valley out of the inning and keep it a two-run game.

In the ninth, closer Andrew Gross allowed a leadoff single, but got two fielder’s choices and a strikeout to hand the Renegades the win.

Each team had six hits.  The only batter with multiple base-knocks was Lockery who had two singles and an RBI in four at-bats.  The win went to LaSorsa (4-1) after he allowed a run on a hit in 2.1 innings despite issuing four walks.  The loss went to McGough (0-1) after he allowed five runs on four hits over an inning-plus.  The save by Gross was his team-leading sixth after he tossed a scoreless ninth.

On a down note, Renegades hurlers issued a season-high eight walks in the game.

Hudson Valley now hits the road to begin a three-game series with the Brooklyn Cyclones tomorrow in a 7:00 start.  Right-hander Rodolfo Sanchez (1-1, 3.89 ERA) will go for the Renegades against fellow-righty Matt Cleveland (3-2, 3.48 ERA) of the Cyclones.

The Renegades return to Dutchess Stadium on Thursday, August 8 when they take on the Tri-City ValleyCats in a doubleheader beginning at 5:05.  Both games will be seven innings long.  It will be the start of a four-game series in three days between the clubs.  Tickets are on sale and can be purchased online at hvrenegades.com, at the Dutchess Stadium ticket window, or by calling the ticket office at (845) 838-0094.