Renegades Routed 10-6 by Scrappers
The 'Gades (16-12) gave up five runs in the third inning and another three in the fourth to let the Scrappers (14-14) blow the game open after the Renegades took the front end of the doubleheader in walk-off fashion 3-2 earlier in the day.
Mahoning Valley drew first blood in the top of the first. Leadoff man Marcus Bradley drew a walk from Renegades starter Reinaldo Lopez (1-1). Aaron Siliga hit a sharp grounder to second baseman Tommy Coyle, who fumbled the ball and couldn't retire anyone; the play left runners at first and second with no outs. Joseph Wendle flew out to center field, advancing Bradley to third. Joe Sever smashed a hot shot that third baseman Leonardo Reginatto mishandled, playing the ball into left field. Bradley scored on the play, and Siliga reached third. Charlie Valerio followed up with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Siliga and running the lead to 2-0 in favor of the Scrappers.
The 'Gades answered immediately in the bottom of the first. Center fielder Deshun Dixon laced a single through the left side to lead off against Scrappers starter Luis DeJesus (3-0). Designated hitter Jake DePew hit a liner to left that dropped in for a single, and Bradley misplayed it trying to scoop it up. The error moved the runners to second and third with no outs. Coyle and catcher Luke Maile both fanned before shortstop Ryan Dunn came up, smacking a double to right-center that plated both Dixon and DePew to tie the score at two runs apiece.
In the top of the third, the Scrappers surged ahead. Bradley led off with another walk, and moved to second on a ground-out by Siliga. Wendle grounded out to first base to advance Bradley to third. Sever ripped a single through the left side to plate Bradley and retake the lead for Mahoning Valley. Valerio followed up with a hard liner to right field that was ruled a single and an error when right fielder Charles Epperson misplayed the ball in the corner; Sever scored on the play and Valerio advanced to second. Richard Stock lined his own single to left, moving Valerio to third, still with two outs. Mitch Nilsson hit a liner that got down in center field for a single, scoring Valerio and moving Stock to second.
That would be all for Lopez, who gave way to reliever Kris Carlson. Hunter Jones welcomed Carlson to the game by working a walk to load the bases, and Jairo Kelly hit a two-run double to right behind him that ran the lead to 7-2 Scrappers. Carlson managed to strike out Bradley, who had started off the inning with the initial walk, and the damage was finally ended.
Mahoning Valley added more runs in the top of the fourth. Siliga led off with a double to center, and Wendle followed up with one of his own to score Siliga. Sever hit a ground ball single that Carlson couldn't quite make a play on, and moved Wendle to third on the play. A wild pitch by Carlson let Sever move up to second base, and Valerio drew a walk to load the bases again. Stock earned his own free pass that walked in Wendle from third before Nilsson bounced into a 6-4-3 double play that scored Sever. Jones flew out to Epperson to end the frame, but not before the Scrappers had extended their advantage to 10-2.
The Renegades fought back with some late scoring, not going quietly. Epperson led off the bottom of the fifth with a ground ball single through the middle, and Dixon reached when Kelly's throw from shortstop went wide of the bag at first. With runners on the corners and no outs, DePew grounded to third to score Epperson and cut the lead to 10-3.
Hudson Valley added more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Against new reliever Jack Wagoner, left fielder Joel Caminero singled through the right side. Wagoner gave up back-to-back singles to Reginatto and first baseman Michael Williams, leaving the bases loaded with nobody out. After Epperson went down looking, Dixon singled through the left side to score Caminero and load the bases again. DePew hit a sacrifice fly to right field that plated Reginatto, and Coyle worked a walk to load the bases up once more. Reliever Nicholas Pascuale came on and fanned Luke Maile to end the threat, but the 'Gades had added two runs and trimmed the deficit to 10-5.
Third baseman Felix Gonzalez, who had come on for Dunn earlier, led off the bottom of the seventh with a single to right, which Caminero immediately duplicated. Reginatto struck out, and Williams flied out to deep right, allowing Gonzalez to advance to third. Epperson lined a single through the right side to score Gonzalez, and give the Renegades a gasp of hope, but Dixon flew out to right to end the ballgame with the 10-6 final score.
Lopez took the loss, throwing 2.2 innings and allowing seven runs, of which five were earned. He gave up four hits and two walks, and struck out one. Carlson surrendered three runs on five hits and three walks in two innings, fanning two batters. Rob Finneran tossed 1.1 scoreless frames, and gave up just two hits. Shay Crawford pitched a perfect seventh inning, whiffing one.
DeJesus earned the victory on five innings of work, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk while striking out five. Wagoner gave up two runs on four hits and a walk, striking out one and recording just two outs. Pasquale earned the save, going 1.1 innings and giving up a run on three hits; he struck out two.
The Renegades head to Brooklyn Tuesday to take on the division-leading Cyclones in the first of a two-game home-and-home set. Jesse Hahn will take the ball for Hudson Valley against Brooklyn's Julian Hilario. First pitch is at 7 p.m., with Ben Gellman's pregame show beginning at 6:45 p.m. on 1450 and 1370 WKIP, as well as online at HVRenegades.com.