Lowell's five-run ninth drops ValleyCats

TROY - A dominant Lowell pitching performance gave the Spinners a 5-1 win and handed the ValleyCats their fifth loss in seven games at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium Saturday night. 

Neither team scored until the ninth inning. The 'Cats (34-33) were held to one hit in the first seven frames, and Alex DeGoti's ninth inning solo home run (2) was the only tally Tri-City put on the board. 

The contest was a pitcher's duel in every sense of the phrase. Edgardo Sandoval tossed five scoreless innings, lowering his ERA from 4.13 to 3.58, recording four strikeouts. In relief, Makay Nelson walked four, but did not allow a run in two and two thirds. Angelo Serrano took the loss, surrendering five runs on five hits. 

Offensively, the Spinners (41-26) were silenced to three hits in the first eight innings, but exploded in the ninth off of Serrano. 

Nick Sciortino led off the ninth with an infield single, and Matt McLean moved him onto second with a sacrifice bunt. C. J. Chatham, who had two home runs last night, homered (4) on a fly ball to left field, scoring Jhon Nunez, who pinch ran for Sciortino. With the bases empty, Victor Acosta singled and Tucker Tubbs doubled (11) to right. Bobby Dalbec, who was 0-for-4 before the ninth inning, ripped a bases-clearing double (11) to left-center to give the Spinners a 4-0 lead. 

Lowell added one more, though, when Yoan Aybar's sacrifice fly scored Dalbec two batters later. 

Mike Shawaryn and Danny Zandona (W, 5-2) combined for nine innings of one-run ball, striking out eight and walking just one. 

With the loss, the 'Cats dropped to seven games behind Lowell in the Stedler Divison, and five and a half behind Staten Island in the Wild Card. 

The ValleyCats host the Spinners in the series finale tomorrow night, August 28, at 5:00 p.m. Kevin Hill takes the bump for the 'Cats, facing Lowell's Kevin Steen, before Tri-City departs on a three game road trip in Vermont.