Saturday, August 11, 2018

Valleycats get bowled over (Hudson Valley 10, Tri-City 3, 8/10/18)

The Tri-City Valleycats had their final weekend home game of the season Friday night. Unfortunately, the visiting Hudson Valley Renegades, in first place in the McNamara division of the New York-Penn League, decided to play more like a first place team than they had in the two previous games in the series.

Designated hitter Erik Ostberg got the scoring started in the visiting first off Tri-City starter Shawn Dubin with a three-run homer into the Renegades' bullpen to give Hudson Valley a quick 3-0 lead. Dubin just didn't have it on Friday, going three innings, giving up the three runs on three hits while striking out four. His wildness was a harbinger of things to come.

Hudson Valley starter Miller Hogan was lifted after four innings due likely to pitch count, but he had kept the 'Cats in check. Hogan was perfect through three innings before Trey Dawson singled to start the home fourth. The early exit denied Hogan a well deserved win, which instead went to the Renegades' bullpen, which bent, but didn't break as the Valleycats tried to make a game of it late.

Hudson Valley right fielder Jordan Qsar, a Tampa Bay draft pick out of Pepperdine, had a night to remember, getting his first professional RBI's in consecutive plate appearances. Qsar had a sacrifice fly in the sixth for his first RBI, then tacked on a solo homer off Brett Daniels in the eighth. Fans were already streaming for the exits by then, as the Renegades salvaged the final game of the series, 10-3.

Next up for Tri-City is a quick weekend series at the Vermont Lake Monsters before the All-Star break. This year's NY-P All-Star game takes place in Happy Valley, with the State College Spikes as the host team, on Tuesday. After that, the Connecticut Tigers, shockingly, make their only visit to Troy this year on Wednesday & Thursday.

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