Blue Rocks Rally Late With Timely Hitting in 7-5 Victory Over Renegades

After dropping their last two games to Hudson Valley, late-innings heroics from the Wilmington Blue Rocks on Saturday helped avoid a losing streak as they defeated the Renegades 7-5.

Hudson Valley wasted no time in the top half of the first inning, with two hits from the first two hitters, the Renegades found themselves a prime opportunity to put a crooked number up early. Although Alexander Vargas would score on a wild pitch, Blue Rocks southpaw Andrew Alvarez struck out three to get out of the jam.

The Renegades would not let up however, as they tallied another run off a single from Aaron Palensky to make it 2-0 Hudson Valley.

Hudson Valley starter Chase Hampton looked comfortable through the first three innings having not surrendered a hit until Jordy Barley in the ninth spot laid down a bunt for a hit. Hampton would strike out the next two batters to get out of the inning.

Hampton finished with ten total strikeouts but let up some powerful swings from the Blue Rocks in the bottom of the fourth inning. Back-to-back home runs from catcher Matt Suggs and designated hitter Will Frizzell locked the score up at two. Both home runs were their firsts of the season.

Once again, Hudson Valley worked quickly to get ahead. In the top of the fifth, a sacrifice fly from Antonio Gomez drove in Palensky, and later in the inning a throwing error from shortstop Jordy Barley allowed a second run to score. It was 4-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth.

Clean innings from both sides moved the game into the seventh, where Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle was put in the game for his rehab assignment. Doolittle let up one hit on a flyball that was misread by centerfielder Jeremy De La Rosa. Luckily, Doolittle worked out of the leadoff hit with two strikeouts and a flyout.

The momentum gained from Doolittle’s inning traveled to the Blue Rocks bats in the bottom half of the seventh. De La Rosa led off with a double, which was followed by a walk to Leandro Emiliani. Hudson Valley reliever Carlos Gomez bounced back with two strikeouts which flipped the lineup over to Jacob Young with two outs.

Young who has been on a tear in the month of May, drilled a deep line drive into right centerfield that drove both runners in to tie the game at four. His second triple of the season gave Nationals' top prospect James Wood a chance to take the lead with a single. Instead, Wood crushed a flyball over the wall and towards the scoreboard in right centerfield, yielding a standing ovation from Blue Rocks spectators. 6-4 Blue Rocks heading into the eighth.

With Doolittle in line for the win, it was up to reliever Todd Peterson to record a six-out save for the 2019 World Series champion. He worked through the top of the eighth cleanly and received an insurance run from an Emiliani RBI single in the bottom half to push the lead to 7-4.

Peterson did allow a run to score in the ninth but rolled a critical double play to second basemen Viandel Pena which ended the night for Hudson Valley. Blue Rocks win by a final score of 7-5.

The Blue Rocks look to even up the six-game series at three a piece in the final matchup tomorrow at 6:35 p.m.