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WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY- Hudson Valley Renegades catcher Zac Law blasted a three-run, 13th inning homerun to give the Renegades a thrilling 5-2 win over the Staten Island Yankees Saturday night at Dutchess Stadium. With the victory, Hudson Valley has taken a 1-0 best-of-three series lead from Staten Island with game two and, if necessary, three slated for the Yankees homefield.
The scoring started in the first for Staten Island. With one out, shortstop Wilkerman Garcia laced a double to right. After a strikeout and walk, Renegades starting pitcher Tobias Myers allowed a groundball single to left off the bat of rightfielder Timmy Robinson to score Garcia and give the Yankees a 1-0 lead.
The Renegades, however, would respond in the fourth as Staten Island shot itself in the foot. With one out, first-baseman Brendan McKay reached on a fielding error from Yankees second baseman Danienger Perez. Catcher Zac Law followed with a line drive single to center. Staten Island centerfielder Andy Diaz had the ball go under his glove and all the way to the wall. The three-base error allowed McKay and Law to score to give Hudson Valley a 2-1 lead.
The Yankees came right back to tie it in the fifth as with nobody on and two out, Robinson launched a solo homerun over the right-centerfield wall to knot the contest at two.
Things stayed that way until the 13th. Centerfielder Carl Chester started the inning with a groundball single to right. After third baseman Deion Tansel laid down a sacrifice bunt to first to move Chester to second, McKay was intentionally walked to put runners at first and second with two out. That's when Law stepped to the plate and provided his heroics with his three-run blast down the leftfield line.
Getting the win for the Renegades was reliever Zack Mozingo (1-0) who tossed two scoreless innings of relief on a hit with two strikeouts. He and fellow relievers Hunter Schryver and Matt Vogel combined to throw six scoreless innings on a hit with six strikeouts.
The loss went to Staten Island relief pitcher Justin Kamplain who allowed the three-run shot on three hits in 1.2 innings of work. He also walked three and struck out two. The loss offset a sensational performance from starting pitcher Jorge Guzman who allowed two unearned runs on four hits in seven innings while striking out six.
The teams only combined for 13 hits with Hudson Valley registering seven of them. Law finished with two hits, scored twice and drove in three. Shortstop Taylor Walls chipped in with two hits, including a double. Of the Yankees six hits, two were from Robinson who scored a run and drove in two. Second baseman Danienger Perez had two singles to aid Staten Island's cause.
The Renegades now head to Staten Island tomorrow for game two of their best-of three playoff series tomorrow. First-pitch is set for 4:00 p.m. The Renegades will start Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Jacob Faria (0-0, 0.00 ERA) who will be making a rehab start for Hudson Valley. The Yankees will counter with righty Jonathan Loaisiga (1-0, 0.53 ERA). Should the Renegades advance past this round, their next home game would be next Tuesday or Wednesday against a team and time to-be-determined. Tickets can be purchased online at hvrenegades.com or by calling the ticket office at 845-838-0094.
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