Don't Fitts It: Pitching leads Gades to 3-1 victory

Wilmington, Del. (Sept. 7, 2022) – Led by a strong pitching performance, the Hudson Valley Renegades defeated the Wilmington Blue Rocks 3-1 on Wednesday night at Frawley Stadium.

Richard Fitts turned in another spectacular start for the Renegades, tossing 6.2 innings and allowing just one unearned run on two hits, walking one and striking out eight. The right-hander threw a career-high 95 pitches and lowered his ERA to 0.55 in 33.0 innings in High-A.

Fitts (4-0) has a ridiculous 38:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in five starts with the Renegades following tonight’s start.

Wilmington grabbed the lead in the bottom of the first against Fitts. Cody Wilson walked and stole second, then was sacrifice bunted to third base by Viandel Pena. Onix Vega hit a chopper that went off of Ben Cowles’ glove for an error to score Wilson.

The Renegades finally broke through in the top of the seventh when Cowles, Kyle Battle and Anthony Seigler led off the frame with three straight doubles off Orlando Ribalta to put the Gades in front. Later in the inning, Spencer Henson lifted a sacrifice fly to chase home Seigler and grow the lead to 3-1.

Battle finished the night 2-for-2 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.

Jack Neely relieved Fitts and turned in 1.1 perfect innings, while Harold Cortijo worked around a leadoff single in the ninth to earn his first High-A save. In total, three Hudson Valley pitchers combined to retire 24 of the final 27 Wilmington batters of the game.

With four games left in the season, the Renegades sit 1.5 games behind the Brooklyn Cyclones for first place in the SAL North.

The Renegades continue their series with the Blue Rocks on Thursday night at Frawley Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. LHP Edgar Barclay (6-4, 1.88) toes the rubber for Hudson Valley, while RHP Rodney Theophile (1-6, 4.89) climbs the hill for Wilmington. Coverage on the Renegades Baseball Network begins at 6:15.