'Gades Get Squeezed

Return home after dropping series finale 2-1

July 9, 2013

BURLINGTON, VT (July 9, 2013) - If there was one advantage the Renegades had on Tuesday afternoon at Centennial Field, it was that they've played their fair share of extra-inning games through the first three weeks of the season. Vermont, on the other hand, had not played any before the teams took a 1-1 tie into the tenth inning in the final game of the series. The Lake Monsters then tried a risky squeeze play with the winning run at third, but were successful as they claimed the final two games to drop the Renegades to 13-10 on the season.

A recurring theme throughout the series was a lack of offense early in the ballgame. This time around, the game was scoreless after four innings thanks to impressive starts by Aaron Griffin and Dylan Covey. Griffin was coming off a near perfect five innings in Staten Island on Independence Day and was attempting to move to 3-0 on the season. He'd allow base hits in the second and third innings, but the Lake Monsters were unable to score in both frames.

The Renegades had just two base hits through the first four, and squandered their best chance in the top of the first after Jonathan Quiñonez singled and moved to second on a passed ball with one out. Tyler Young grounded out to Covey to move the runner to third, but Johnny Field would also roll out to the pitcher to end the inning.

For the third game in a row, the Renegades scored first in the top of the fifth inning. Facing relief pitcher Tyler Johnson, Granden Goetzman hit a one-out double to left before moving to third on a groundout by John Alexander. James Harris then grounded an RBI single into left to give the 'Gades a 1-0 lead. But in Griffin's last inning in the bottom of the sixth, he allowed a leadoff home run to Ryan Garton which tied the score at one. For the number nine hitter Garton, it was just his first home run of the season and would be the only scoring for the next three-plus innings.

Once again, Hudson Valley had no pop after scoring in the fifth. At one point, Johnson and Trevor Bayless (1-0) retired 14 batters in a row before Patrick Blair walked with one out in the top of the 10th. But a Goetzman strikeout and an Alexander groundout sent it to the bottom half of the inning.

It was Eli Echarry's (2-1) second inning of relief in place of Cory Jordan. Wilfredo Solano led things off with a double to set up a Gorton sacrifice bunt, which gave Vermont two chances to end the game with the winning run at third. The Lake Monsters then tried a squeeze play with Herschel Powell at the plate, and he just managed to bunt the ball fair as Solano came in to score the winning run.

NOTES: The loss drops the Renegades to 3-4 in extra-inning games, including a 1-2 mark on the road…the home run allowed by Griffin in the sixth snapped a stretch of 18 straight scoreless innings, dating back to June 21 against Staten Island…in total, the Renegades had just four baserunners after the fifth inning in all three games of the series.

The Renegades return home to The Dutch on Wednesday, July 10 for the start of a six-game homestand against the Jamestown Jammers and the State College Spikes. First pitch in the opening game against the Jammers is 7:05 PM. Great seats are still available so call 845-838-0094 or visit www.hvrenegades.com to purchase your tickets now.