A Night to Forget

WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY -The Connecticut Tigers sent 11 hitters to the plate while compiling a six-run third inning in defeating the Hudson Valley Renegades 9-5 Wednesday night at Dutchess Stadium.
The teams traded runs to begin the scoring in the first inning. With one out, Tigers third baseman Luke Sherley reached on an infield single to center before stealing second. He scored when leftfielder Eric De La Rosa lined a double into right-centerfield to put the Tigers up one. In the bottom-half, Renegades shortstop Ford Proctor blooped a double to left, went to third on a groundout, then scored on a groundball single to left from second baseman Tyler Frank.
Connecticut retook the lead in the second as a double and wild pitch put first baseman Ryan Karstetter at third with no one out. Centerfielder Reece Hampton brought him in on a sacrifice fly to center to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
But it was the third inning where the Tigers would bust things open; and it all started with two out, nobody on and the count 0-2 to De La Rosa. The Connecticut leftfielder was able to foul off several pitches from Renegades starter Easton McGee before drawing a walk. He would steal second, then score on a single from designated hitter Darwin Alvarado. It would be the first of seven consecutive hits, which included a RBI triple from second baseman Jeremiah Burks, an RBI single by Karstetter, a double by centerfielder Reece Hampton, a two-run single by rightfielder Dayton Dugas, and an RBI single from catcher Moises Nunez. The final hit was a single from shortstop Wenceel Perez as the Tigers sent 11 men to the plate and owned an 8-1 lead.
Hudson Valley tried to get back into the game in the fourth when catcher Chris Betts belted his sixth homer of the year. It was a solo shot over the right-centerfield wall to make the score 8-2. However, after the Renegades loaded the bases with two out later in the inning, rightfielder Bryce Brown stuck out swinging and the deficit remained at six.
The Renegades, though, would make a push in the fifth with three runs. Two walks put runners at first and second with two away when designated hitter Jacson McGowan ripped a single to right to score leftfielder Justin Bridgman. With runners now at the corners and two away, third baseman Adrian Rondon drilled a two-run triple to left-centerfield to pull Hudson Valley to within three at 8-5.
That would be as close as the Renegades got as Burks launched a solo homerun to left-centerfield in the ninth inning to make the final 9-5. The dinger was his first of the year.
Getting the win for Connecticut in relief was Drew Crosby (4-0) who fired 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball with two strikeouts on two hits. McGee (3-2) took the loss for the Renegades as he allowed eight runs on eight hits over 2.2 innings. Closer Yaya Chentouf picked up save for the Tigers by firing two perfect innings with a strikeout.
There were 24 hits in the game, including 16 by Connecticut. Six players had multiple hits for the Tigers. De La Rosa went 3-4 with two doubles, a stolen base, an RBI and a run scored. Burks finished 2-5 with a homer, triple, two runs and two RBI. Karstetter went 2-5 with a double, two runs and an RBI. Dugas also went 2-5 with a double, run and two RBI. Nunez and Perez each collected two singles with Nunez driving in a run.
Hudson Valley had eight hits, however the only multi-hit effort was McGowan's two singles. He also scored and picked up an RBI in the process.
The Renegades warp-up their three-game series with the Connecticut Tigers tomorrow at 7:05. Right-hander Michael Mercado (1-0, 4.13 ERA) will toe the bump for Hudson Valley against fellow righty Carson Lance (1-1, 3.00 ERA). Tickets can be purchased online at hvrenegades.com or by calling the ticket office at 845-838-0094.