Extra 'Fun' at the Dutch

[Empty Body]

WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY- It was a long Tuesday night at Dutchess Stadium as in 22 combined innings, the Renegades garnered the split of a doubleheader against the Tri-City ValleyCats, which ended just before midnight. The Renegades lost game one in 12 innings 2-0, before taking game two in walk-off fashion, 4-3 in ten frames, as they overcame a two-run deficit in the bottom of the tenth. Before the three-run tenth, Hudson Valley had only scored one run over its last 26 innings.
Game one was a pitchers' duel between starters Austin Franklin of the Renegades and Tyler Ivey of the ValleyCats. Both men matched each other zero for zero through the first six innings. Franklin left after the sixth, while Ivey pitched through the seventh, then each pitcher handed things off to their bullpens.
The Renegades had a chance to win things in the ninth after ValleyCats reliever Diogenes Almengo walked two men and struck another out. With runners at first and second with one away, centerfielder Carl Chester sent a sinking line drive that was caught off the shoe tops by Tri-City leftfielder Andy Pineda. With two out, Almengo got first baseman Matt Eureste to ground into a unassisted fielder's choice to short to end the inning.
Tri-City finally broke the scoreless deadlock in the 12^th. With two out and no one on base, reliever Hector Lopez appeared to strike out third baseman Adrian Tovalin looking to end the inning, but the pitched was called a ball and Tovalin lined a single into left to keep the inning alive. Lopez then got catcher Michael Papierski to strike out swinging, however the ball was in the dirt and went to the backstop, which allowed Papierski to reach on the wild pitch and move Tovlin to second. With runners at first and second with two away, first baseman Colton Shaver followed with a two-run double to left-centerfield to give the ValleyCats a 2-0 lead.
The Renegades would go 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 12^th to end the game. Getting the win in relief for the ValleyCats was Ben Smith (7-3) who fired the final two innings to get the win. He allowed one hit and struck out three. The loss fell to Lopez (3-5) who allowed two earned runs on four hits in three innings. He struck out five.
Both starters were brilliant as Franklin went six scoreless innings and struck out seven on two hits. Ivey, meanwhile, allowed only one hit and a walk in seven innings with six strikeouts.
Tri-City had seven hits, including two hits apiece by Shaver, Tovalin and Arauz. Shaver went 2-5 with a double and two RBI, Tovalin singled twice an scored a run, while Arauz finished 2-5 with two singles.
The Renegades were held to just two singles. One in the fifth by catcher Zac Law, and another in the 11^th by third baseman Bill Pujols.
After a listless offensive showing in game one, the Renegades started fast in game two by scoring the game's first run in the first. With one out, Chester blooped a double down the rightfield line. Following him was first baseman Brendan McKay who looped a double down the leftfield line to score Chester and give the Renegades a 1-0 lead.
The ValleyCats came back to tied things up in the third. With one out, centerfielder Jacob Meyers lined a single to center. Leftfielder Andy Pineda followed that with another line drive to center. Chester misplayed the ball as he started in on the play. The ball, however, went over his head and rolled to the wall for a triple. Meyers scored easily and the game was tied at one.
Things stayed that way until the tenth when the ValleyCats scored two runs to seemingly take control of the game. With one out, second baseman Miguelangel Sierra lined a single to right. After Meyers struck out for the second out, Pineda stepped to the plate and laced another triple, this time down the rightfield line to score Sierra and give the ValleyCats a 2-1 lead. Rightfielder Bryan De La Cruz followed that by lining another single to right to bring in Pineda and make the score 3-1.
However, Hudson Valley would not give up as they answered the bell with three runs in the bottom of the tenth, and they did it all against ValleyCats closer Luis Ramirez. Rightfielder Angel Perez started the rally by laying down a bunt single in front of the mound and beating the throw to first. Third baseman Eureste followed that by grounding a double down the leftfield line. Perez went to third and Eureste sprinted to second with nobody out to put the Renegades in business. Shortstop Deion Tansel came up next and grounded a single just beyond the glove of Tri-City shortstop Jonathan Arauz into leftfield to bring in Perez and make the score 3-2. Eureste moved to third on the play, and the Renegades had runners at the corners with one out.
Second baseman Vidal Brujan came up next and drew a full-count walk to load the bases. After centerfielder Carl Chester grounded into a fielder's choice to second, which resulted in Eureste being thrown out at home, McKay stood in and blooped a flair down the rightfield line, which just stayed fair. Tansel and Brujan each scored on the play and the Renegades had the 4-3 win in 10 innings.
Getting the win for Hudson Valley was Blake Plughaupt (1-0) as the southpaw garnered his first professional victory. He allowed two runs on three hits in three innings with four strikeouts. The loss went to Ramirez (1-3) after he allowed three runs on four hits in 1.1 innings with a walk and three strikeouts.
Lost in the insanity was great pitching performances by relievers Leovanny Rodriguez of the ValleyCats and Ivan Pelaez of the Renegades. Rodriguez tossed seven shutout innings and allowed no walks on four hits with five strikeouts. Pelaez, in his Dutchess Stadium debut, allowed no runs on three hits in four frames. The left-hander also walked one and struck out five.
The Renegades finished game two with 10 hits, including four in the tenth. McKay led the way by going 3-5 with a double and three RBI. Perez finished 2-4 with two singles and a run scored, while Tansel also went 2-4 with two singles, a run scored and an RBI. The ValleyCats had eight hits and were paced by Pineda who went 2-3 with two triples, two RBI and a run scored. Sierra chipped in by going 2-4 with two singles and a run scored.
Hudson Valley and Tri-City wrap-up their series tomorrow with a single game. First-pitch will be at 7:05 and both games will be seven innings long. Right-hander Alex Valverde (1-0, 1.80 ERA) will make his Dutchess Stadium debut for the Renegades against ValleyCats righty Hunter Martin (2-0, 2.73). Tickets can be purchased online at hvrenegades.com or by calling the ticket office at 845-838-0094.