Starting Strong: Dominant pitching leads Renegades to Opening Night win

Brooklyn, NY (April 3, 2026) -- The Hudson Valley Renegades defeated the Brooklyn Cyclones 3-1 on Friday night at Maimonides Park on Opening Night of the 2026 season.

The Renegades won their first Opening Night game since April 7, 2023 vs Greensboro Grasshoppers, an 8-1 win at Heritage Financial Park.

Hudson Valley won its first Opening Night game on the road since a 4-0 win at the Aberdeen IronBirds on June 15, 2018.

The Renegades stole four bases, with SS Core Jackson, 2B Kaeden Kent, and 1B Kyle West (2), combining to swipe the bags.

Four pitchers combined to strike out 17 batters, with Pico Kohn (8), Chris Veach (4), Tony Rossi (3) and Ben Grable (2) posting the dominating performance. Veach and Rossi combined to record seven straight outs by strikeout, and nine of the final 10 outs were recorded via strikeout.

LHP Pico Kohn (W, 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K) struck out eight batters in 5.2 innings, picking up the win in his professional debut.

• Kohn began his professional career with a bang, striking out the first three batters he faced in the bottom of the first inning, fanning Mitch Voit, Yonatan Henriquez and Antonio Jimenez swinging.

• Kohn retired the first eight batters he faced, five via strikeout, before allowing a two-out solo home run to John Bay in the bottom of the third.

• His 5.2 IP is the longest outing by a Hudson Valley starter on Opening Night during the Yankees affiliation, and the longest since Jordan Harrison threw 6.0 innings on June 17, 2013 at Aberdeen.

• Among his eight strikeouts, five were swinging strikeouts.

3B Roderick Arias (2-for-3, BB) was the lone batter with a multi-hit game, reaching base three times.

2B Kaeden Kent (1-for-3, R, 2B, 2 BB, 2 K, SB) also reached base three times.

• Kent has three career doubles with all of them coming against the Cyclones.

1B Kyle West (1-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB, 2 SB) had an RBI double in the top of the first inning, giving the Renegades a 1-0 lead three batters into the season.

West’s double was the lone extra-base hit for the Renegades until Kent’s ninth-inning double.

LF Josh Moylan (0-for-3, RBI, 3 K) had a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth to give the Renegades the lead for good after Brooklyn tied the game.

• It was Moylan’s 93^rd career RBI with the Renegades, extending his franchise record.

RHP Chris Veach (1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K) struck out four batters in 1.1 innings in his High-A debut.

RHP Tony Rossi (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K) struck out three batters in 1.0 innings in his season debut.

RHP Ben Grable (SV, 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K) earned the save and struck out two in his professional debut.