Stayin' Alive: Renegades take Game 2 from BlueClaws
Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (Sept. 14, 2023) — Facing elimination, the Hudson Valley Renegades pounded out 12 hits en route to a 6-2 victory over the Jersey Shore BlueClaws in Game 2 of the North Division Championship Series at Heritage Financial Park on Thursday night. Jersey Shore got on the scoreboard
Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (Sept. 14, 2023) — Facing elimination, the Hudson Valley Renegades pounded out 12 hits en route to a 6-2 victory over the Jersey Shore BlueClaws in Game 2 of the North Division Championship Series at Heritage Financial Park on Thursday night.
Jersey Shore got on the scoreboard first against Cam Schlittler in the top of the second. Bryan Rincon worked a one-out walk then stole second base before Jared Carr singled him home to give the BlueClaws a 1-0 lead.
The ‘Gades scored the game’s next six runs beginning in the bottom of the second. Jesus Rodriguez tallied a leadoff single, then stole second base and scored on an Anthony Hall single to tie the game. Hudson Valley took a 2-1 lead in the third on a Christopher Familia RBI double against Mitch Neunborn (0-1), before Spencer Henson clubbed a solo home run in the fourth to make it 3-1 Hudson Valley.
SEE YA! 🚀
— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) September 14, 2023
Spencer Henson with a MASSIVE HR to extend our lead! @realspencerh14 pic.twitter.com/1X5L6Rw2pb
After Henson led off the sixth with a double against Carlos Betancourt, and later scored on a RBI single from Jared Serna to pad the ‘Gades lead to 4-1. The Renegades completed their scoring with a pair of runs in the seventh. After Hall and Rafael Flores collected back-to-back one-out singles, Alexander Vargas plated both men on a base hit to right field to push the lead to 6-1.
The BlueClaws struck for a run in the eighth against Matt Keating. After a dropped pop-up extended the at-bat, Carr tripled to right field and scored on a sacrifice fly from Erick Brito to cut the Renegades lead to 6-2. Keating tossed a scoreless ninth to slam the door on Jersey Shore and force a winner-take-all Game 3 on Friday night.
Schlittler (1-0) struck out five and allowed just the one run in five innings to pick up the win. Henson, Hall, Rodriguez, and Cole Gabrielson each collected multi-hit games in the victory.
The winner of Game 3 will face the Greenville Drive in the South Atlantic League Championship Series beginning on Sunday. Greenville swept the Hickory Crawdads in the South Division Championship Series.
The Renegades and BlueClaws play Game 3 on Friday night at Heritage Financial Park of the Championship Series. Playoff tickets are available at www.hvrenegades.com. First pitch on Friday is set for 6:35 p.m. with coverage on the Renegades baseball network beginning at 6:15 p.m. LHP Brock Selvidge (4-1, 3.38) gets the start for Hudson Valley on Friday, against LHP Rafael Marcano (5-6, 3.95) for Jersey Shore.