Mancini Launches Aberdeen to Victory, 5-3

Aberdeen, MD- Trey Mancini's 3 RBI night at the dish powered the IronBirds to a 5-3 win over Hudson Valley. Mancini went 2-for-4 with a homer and a double, lifting the IronBirds to their 30th win of the season.

Mancini's big game was capped off by a clutch go-ahead double in the seventh inning which came on the heels of the Renegades scoring two runs in the top half of the inning to tie the game up. Mancini raked a double deep into the right-centerfield gap, scoring Jared Breen from first base.

Mancini put the IronBirds on top with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning. He jumped on the first pitch he saw, crushing it way over the left field wall, high up on the visitor's clubhouse. The blast came after Mike Yastrzemski drew a walk in the previous at-bat.

After struggling to get men on base in the previous two games, the IronBirds (30-26) were able to get four men on base in the first frame, including three walks. Conor Bierfeldt and Hector Veloz drew walks following Mancini's home run. Bierfeldt scored the IronBirds' third run of the game from second on Renegades' pitcher Jaime Schultz errant pickoff attempt at first.

Hudson Valley (27-32) chipped their way back level, scoring a run in the fourth and two in the seventh. Ariel Soriano had the big hit for the Renegades in the seventh. He drove in two runs to tie it on a single, one of eleven the Renegades hit in the first seven innings of the game.

Following Mancini's go-ahead double in the seventh, Bierfeldt grounded a single up the middle, scoring Mancini from second on a very close play at the plate. The throw from centerfielder Julian Ridings beat Mancini to the plate but Mancini touched the plate before catcher Oscar Hernandez could get the tag down.

Sebastian Vader battled throughout the night, giving up three runs on eleven hits. Despite giving up eleven hits -- all singles -- he limited the damage thanks to some nice defensive plays behind him, as well as by himself.

The IronBirds solid defense began in the first inning when Bierfeldt threw Omar Navaez out at third attempting to go first to third on a single to slow a rally down. Second baseman Federico

Castagnini and short stop Jared Breen combined for a nice 4-6-3 double play with runners on the corners in the second inning to end the Renegades threat. Vader used the inside move to pick Ariel Soriano off at second base, getting him in a rundown with one out and two on base for the Hudson Valley. Vader fielded a sharp comebacker perfectly to get the third out and end the inning.

The IronBirds defense was back on display in the fifth inning. Breen went deep in the hole to field a sharp ground ball. With a runner on first he threw quickly to second to start the double play. Castagnini made a quick to get the runner out at first by an eye-lash to complete the twin-killing.

Janser Severino picked up the win after coming on in relief following Soriano's game-tying single in the seventh. He pitched 2.2 innings to finish the game for the IronBirds.

The IronBirds and Renegades wrap-up this two game set tomorrow before heading up to Hudson Valley for the second half of this four game home-and-home series. 2013 First Round pick Hunter Harvey makes his IronBirds debut on the mound tomorrow.
 

For ticket information, contact our box office at (410) 297-9292 or visit us online at www.IronBirdsbaseball.com.
 

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