Squandered Opportunities

Renegades Blow Four-Run Lead; Fall to Black Bears

WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY—The Hudson Valley Renegades allowed a four-run lead go by the wayside as they fell to the West Virginia Black Bears 5-4 Saturday evening at Dutchess Stadium in front of 3,538 fans.

The Renegades jumped on the Black Bears by scoring three runs in the second.  Rightfielder Hill Alexander started the inning with a double to right-center.  First-baseman Mason Mallard followed by reaching on a bunt single as Alexander moved to third. That set the stage for shortstop Ben Troike who grounded into a fielder’s choice to plate Alexander.  With a runner at first and one out, second baseman Cristhian Pedroza served a single to right on a hit-and-run play to advance Troike to third.  Designated hitter Pedro Diaz came up next and drilled a double into the leftfield corner to score Troike and move Pedroza to third.  Hudson Valley capped the scoring when catcher Jordyn Muffley lifted a sacrifice fly to center to up the lead to 3-0.

Hudson Valley would add another run in the third.  Third baseman Nick Sogard led off with a walk, then stole second.  With two away, Sogard took off for third and West Virginia starting pitcher Austin Roberts stepped off the rubber to try and throw him out.  However, the throw from Roberts went down the leftfield line and allowed Sogard to score to increase the lead to four.

The Black Bears got a run back in the fourth.  Designated hitter Kyle Wilkie lined a single to right, then went to second on a bunt single to the mound from centerfielder Matt Frazier.  On the play, the throw to first baseman Mason Mallard was missed for an error, which allowed Wilkie to take third and Mallard to advance to second.  After a strikeout, second baseman Cory Wood lobbed a single to center to bring in Wilkie and pull the Black Bears to within three.

West Virginia would then capture the lead by erupting for four runs in the sixth.  With one out, Fraizer rocketed a triple off the rightfield wall.  He then scored when Mallard tried to throw home on a grounder to first off the bat of Black Bears first baseman Will Matthiessen.  Frazier beat the throw to the plate and Matthiessen reached first as the lead closed to 4-2.  Wood followed with a single to center before leftfielder Brett Kinneman looped a double down the leftfield line to score Matthiesson and move Wood to third.  With the score 4-3 and runners at second and third with one out, catcher Elys Escobar provided the big blow with a two-run single to center to give West Virginia the lead.

The Renegades had a couple of opportunities to tie the game but came up empty.  In the bottom-of-the-eighth, Edwards led off with a ground-rule double to right.  With his speed, Edwards would have had a triple but had to settle for the double after it bounced over the wall.  It hurt because Sogard came up next and flew out to left, which would have been deep enough to score Edwards had he been at third base.  Edwards was then thrown out trying to steal, which was magnified when the hitter at the plate, leftfielder Beau Brundage, slapped a single to right a few pitches later.  The single would have brought Edwards in from second had he still been on the bases.  Be that as it may, Alexander followed with a fielder’s choice groundout to end the inning.

In the ninth, Mallard drew a leadoff walk then went to second on a sacrifice bunt.  After a strikeout, Mallard advanced to third on a wild pitch.  However, closer Cameron Junker got Diaz to pop to short to end the game.  

Getting the win for West Virginia was Elvis Escobar (1-0) who fired a scoreless fifth inning.  The loss went to Hudson Valley reliever Jose Roca (2-2) after he gave up four runs on four hits in 0.1 innings.  The save by Junker was his fourth of the season.

Hudson Valley had eight hits in the game.  Leading the way was Diaz who had two doubles in four at-bats with an RBI.  Pedroza chipped in by going 2-4 with a run scored.  West Virginia collected 10 hits as Frazier went 3-4 with a triple and run.  Wood also had two singles, a run scored, and an RBI for the Black Bears as well.

Hudson Valley ends its series and homestand with West Virginia in a 4:35 start tomorrow.  It will also be Star Wars Night at the ballpark.  Southpaw Brandon Lopez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his debut for the Renegades against right-hander Bear Bellomy (0-0, 4.32 ERA) of the Black Bears.  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.

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