Hanging On: Renegades hold off Emperors in 3-2 win on Saturday

Rome, GA (June 20, 2026) – The Hudson Valley Renegades held on for a 3-2 win over the Rome Emperors on Saturday night at AdventHealth Stadium.

The win was the first of the second half for the Renegades, and they improved to 1-1 in the second half of the year.

The win sets up a rare rubber game in the series on Sunday between the Renegades and Emperors. It will be the first rubber game of the season for Hudson Valley. The Renegades were 2-0 in rubber games in 2025.

All five runs in the game were scored on home runs.

With the win, the Renegades improve to 7-10 in 2026 in one-run games. They have played three straight one-run games after winning the first game of the series with the Emperors 14-5.

The Renegades hit two home runs on Saturday and have hit 40 home runs in their last 22 games, 55.6% of their season total of 72 home runs. Hudson Valley has hit two-or-more home runs in a game eight times in its last 14 games. Hudson Valley has hit homers in 14 of its last 16 games.

With one home run allowed on Saturday, the Renegades have surrendered 60 home runs this season after giving up only 51 home runs in 2025.

RHP Rory Fox (5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) struck out six batters across 5.2 innings and picked up his fourth win of the season on Saturday.

Over his last two starts, Fox has posted a 3.86 ERA and has allowed five runs in 11.2 innings, allowing 12 hits, 2 BB and 12 K. During that stretch he has lowered his ERA from 5.87 to 5.46.

Fox allowed a home run to Eric Hartman, his ninth home run allowed this season, the second-most on the staff this season.

Saturday was the sixth time this season that Fox has thrown at least 5.0 innings.

C Eric Genther (5-for-5, R, 2 2B) had his first career five hit game, which was also the first five-hit game by a Renegades batter this season. Genther’s performance was just the 18^th five-hit game by a Renegades batter since 2005.

The last Renegades player with a five-hit game was Kaeden Kent on 8/27/25 at Brooklyn, with Kent also finishing 5-for-5. Genther joins T.J. Rumfield (4/12/22) as Renegades players with five-hit games at AdventHealth Stadium all-time.

The two-double performance by Genther was his first career game with two extra-base hits in the same game.

Genther’s five-hit game broke an 0-for-10 skid for him at the plate to begin the series.

SS Core Jackson (1-for-5, R, HR, RBI) hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning, his eighth long ball of the season.

Jackson is in the midst of a 5-for-34 stretch at the plate over his last eight games, but has four extra-base hits including three home runs and has scored 10 runs in the span.

1B Kyle West (2-for-5, R, HR, 2 RBI) hit his 12^th home run of the season in the top of the fifth, giving the Renegades the lead for good.

West ranks second on the Renegades in home runs behind Josh Moylan (13). He and Moylan are the first Renegades teammates with 12-or-more home runs in a season since Omar Martinez (13), Jared Serna (13) and Garrett Martin (12) in 2024.

2B Roderick Arias (1-for-3, BB) extended his on-base streak to 12 straight games.

During the streak, Arias is batting .378/.434/.733 (17-for-45) with 12 R, 4 2B, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 4 BB, and 12 K.

Arias also has hits in 14 of his last 16 games, batting .333/.400/.600 (20-for-60) during the stretch.

RHP Wilmy Sanchez (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K) earned his second save by striking out the side in the ninth inning, working around a two-out single.

Renegades relief pitchers combined for 3.1 scoreless innings, with Jack Sokol and Thomas Balboni, Jr. each picking up holds.