Downed At The Shore: Gades drop opener to Claws 5-3

Wells hits team-leading fourth home run as rally falls short

Austin Wells was 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBIs in Tuesday's loss at Jersey Shore. (Gwinn Davis)

By Hudson Valley Renegades

May 3, 2022

LAKEWOOD, N.J. (May 3, 2022) — The Hudson Valley Renegades fell to the Jersey Shore BlueClaws 5-3 on Tuesday night at ShoreTown Ballpark in the first game of a six-game series. Hudson Valley jumped out fast when Trey Sweeney led off the game with a double down the right field

*LAKEWOOD, N.J. (May 3, 2022) — *The Hudson Valley Renegades fell to the Jersey Shore BlueClaws 5-3 on Tuesday night at ShoreTown Ballpark in the first game of a six-game series.

Hudson Valley jumped out fast when Trey Sweeney led off the game with a double down the right field line and scored two batters later on a similar double by Austin Wells. Tyler Hardman brought in Wells with an RBI single off Griff McGarry later in the inning to extend the lead to 2-0.

The BlueClaws struck back with a run in the bottom of the first against Matt Sauer on a Baron Radcliff RBI groundout. Jersey Shore took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, highlighted by a two-run double by McCarthy Tatum.

That inning aside, Sauer (0-1) turned a strong outing, becoming the first Renegades starter to complete 6.0 innings this season. He struck out seven and walked only one while allowing four runs on six hits.

In the top of the eighth, the Renegades cut the deficit to 4-3 on a solo home run from Wells that clanged off the left field foul pole off Andrew Baker. The blast was Wells’ team-leading fourth of the season, and his third in his last four games.

Rally Time! #oppotaco @wellsius16 pic.twitter.com/vuwnBMt2CA
— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) May 4, 2022

Jersey Shore added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth against Nelvin Correa to take a 5-3 lead. Hudson Valley brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth, but Everson Pereira flew out to center with Sweeney at first to end the game.

Wells finished 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBIs and a run scored, and is hitting a blistering 17-for-36 (.472) in his last 10 games with four home runs.

The Renegades continue their series with the BlueClaws Wednesday morning at ShoreTown Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. with coverage beginning at 10:45 on the Renegades Baseball Network. Hudson Valley sends RHP Will Warren (1-1, 2.65) to the mound, while Jersey Shore counters with RHP Victor Vargas (0-1, 4.15).