Doubledays Fall to Muckdogs in Season Opener

Batavia, N.Y. - Despite a strong effort from the pitching staff, the Auburn Doubledays (0-1) dropped the first game of the 2019 New York-Penn League season to the Batavia Muckdogs (1-0) by a score of 2-0. 20-year-old starter Niomar Gomez went five strong innings for Auburn, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out four.
After facing just one over the minimum through the first four innings, Gomez gave up a long leadoff double to Batavia third basemen Nic Ready to begin the fifth inning. Designated hitter Albert Guaimaro then reached on an error on Auburn first baseman Anthony Peroni, allowing Ready to move up to third. The Muckdogs scratched across the first run of the game just one pitch later when catcher Igor Baez flied out to center field and Ready trotted home on the sacrifice fly.
It didn't take long for Batavia to double their lead just one inning later in the sixth against Evan Lee, albeit in an unconventional way. With one out in the frame, shortstop Dalvy Rosario deposited a bloop single into right field. Peyton Burdick then singled on a line drive to left field to put runners at first and second. Evan Edwards hit a hot shot to the first baseman Peroni who gunned down Burdick at second on the fielder's choice, allowing Rosario to move to third and Edwards to reach safely.
In the next at-bat, Edwards took off for second and it looked like Lee had him picked off with a crafty move. While the Doubledays' defense tried to run down Edwards on the basepaths, the 18-year-old Rosario smartly took off for home plate and crossed the dish easily with Batavia's second run of the day to make it 2-0.
The Batavia pitching staff shut down the Doubledays the rest of the way as the combination of starter Remey Reed and the platoon bullpen effort of Edison Suriel, Raul Brito and Casen Sherrod allowed no runs and scattered three hits while striking out nine Doubledays batters. Wilmer Perez, Phil Caulfield and Jesus Morales provided the lone hits for Auburn.
The Doubledays will be back at Dwyer Stadium in Batavia on Saturday night to finish out the two-game set with the Muckdogs at 7:05 p.m. RHP Leif Strom is scheduled to get the start for Auburn. LHP Andrew Miller is set to take the bump for Batavia.