July 22, 2021: ValleyCats Drop Midweek Series Finale

AUGUSTA, NJ - The Tri-City ValleyCats (22-24) could not carry over momentum from their 12-5 rout of the Sussex County Miners (31-16) on Wednesday into Thursday's rubber match, dropping the midweek finale, 9-3, at Skylands Stadium.

The Miners, who out-hit the 'Cats, 10-9 and improved to 13-6 in the season series, hopped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings, with a three-run frame in the home half of the first off a pair of RBI singles and a stolen base and a sacrifice fly in the third getting the job done.

The ValleyCats found the board twice in the middle innings thanks to infielder Andreas Sosa, who registered a multi-hit game in just his second outing with the team. The recent Dallas Baptist University graduate sent home Daniel Angulo on a ground-rule double in the top of the fifth, and laced another two-bagger two innings later to plate Nelson Molina.

Tri-City had room for one more consolation run with the Miners holding an 8-2 lead after seven innings, with Brad Zunica going yard for the second consecutive game with a solo shot in the top of the eighth. A bases-loaded RBI single in the home half of the inning from the Miners gave the game its final score.

Sosa, Molina, and Zunica each led the 'Cats offensively with multi-hit games, while right-hander Austin Cline (2-2) suffered the loss on the mound after conceding five earned runs on four hits and striking out four. Billy Layne, Jr. (4-3) took home the win with a six-inning start for Sussex County, allowing just one run on three hits and striking out six.

Following an uncharacteristically dry week, Tri-City will now return home to the Capital Region for a nine-game homestand over seven calendar days, including back-to-back doubleheaders for only the third time in club history and three total twin bills in five days. Action against Equipe Quebec begins with a single-admission doubleheader at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on Friday, July 23 at 4:30 PM. Click Here for tickets.