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The Hudson Valley Renegades bounced back from a weekend doubleheader split and took the rubber match of a three-game series against the Aberdeen IronBirds, 7-5, on July 21 at Ripken Stadium in front of 6,481 fans.
Third baseman Jeff Carroll, who came into the game batting .111, came through in a big way, hitting two towering bombs over the outfield fence that accounted for four Renegades runs.
Kyeong Kang also had a big night at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a triple in the fifth inning.
Let’s play two
After a postponed game on Saturday, July 19, the Renegades kicked off their three-game series with the IronBirds with a twinbill on Sunday. They came out ready to play, winning the first contest in extra innings, 9-6. But the IronBirds came back in a big way, defeating the ’Gades 11-1 in game two of the doubleheader.
In game one, it looked like the Renegades were in trouble. The IronBirds jumped out to an early lead, plating two runs in the home half the first.
In the top of the fourth, though, the Renegades took advantage of wild pitching, scoring four runs on four straight walks and one hit. With one out, Aberdeen starter Aaron Odom walked four straight Renegades, leaving the bases loaded for the hottest slugger in the ’Gades lineup, Jason Tweedy. His eighth double of the season cleared the bases and gave the Renegades a two-run lead.
The IornBirds slowly tied the game at four with runs in the fourth and sixth innings. With the game tied going into the final inning, it looked as though fans at Ripken Stadium would be enjoying some free baseball. But for the second time in the game, a bases-clearing double gave the Renegades the lead. With Kyeong Kang on first and Tweedy on second, Jacob Jefferies lined a ball to deep center field, giving the ‘Gades back their two-run lead. However, the lead was short-lived, as the IronBirds scored two runs of their own in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings.
The Renegades took the lead for good in the first inning of extra baseball by plating three runs in the eighth to bring the score to its final 9-6. With one out and one man on, Anthony Sclefo hit a triple to left, giving the Renegades the go-ahead run. Scelfo gave the team some insurance by scoring from third on a throwing error by Aberdeen’s shortstop. Tweedy capped the game off with a solo home run during the next at-bat.
Aberdeen had the Renegades’ number in the second game, jumping on top early by plating nine runs in the first and second innings, and of the team’s 12 overall hits, five were for extra-bases and four were triples.
The Renegades plated their only run of the game in the top of the second. Down 4-0 with bases loaded, Justin Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing John Mollicone to score from third and cutting the IronBirds’ lead to three runs.
The IronBirds retook their lead and added some in the home half of the second with the help of a double followed by back-to-back triples.
John Baird picked up his third loss of the season, hurling 1.1 innings and allowing nine runs, five earned, on eight hits. Aberdeen starter Cole McCrurry picked up his fifth win of the year, throwing a complete game and allowing one run on five hits.
Power boost in finale
In the last game of the series, the Renegades’ offense got started in the top of the second and picked away at the IronBirds all night long, scoring at least one run in five of the remaining eight innings.
Thanks to Carroll’s first home run of the season, the Renegades took an early three-run lead and would not look back. A single by Kang and a walk by Justin Reynolds left the table set for Carroll, and he took a Nicholas Haughian offering and drove it deep over the left field fence.
The Renegades plated another run in the third inning to bring the score to 4-0 before the IronBirds’ offense showed any signs of life. In the bottom of the third, Robert Widlansky got the IronBirds going with a leadoff triple and scored two batters later on a Calvin Lester sacrifice fly to left field.
In the bottom of the fourth, Aberdeen added two more runs to cut the Renegades’ lead to two. With one out and runners at the corners, Aberdeen’s Jedidiah Stephen hit a RBI double that chased starter Chris Andujar from the game.
The Renegades answered right back, plating a run of their own in the fifth. Kang brought the lumber to start the inning, tripling to center field, and he trotted home following a sacrifice fly off the bat of Justin Reynolds.
The Renegades received some insurance courtesy of Carroll in the eighth inning. With one out and no one on, Carroll hit his second home run of the night, and for the season, over the left field fence, increasing the Renegades’ lead to 7-3.
The ’Gades were supposed to begin a seven-game homestand this week on July 22, but rain washed out the series opener against Williamsport. Following a doubleheader on July 23, after the Beat’s press time, the Renegades will play Williamsport once more before opening a four-game set against Aberdeen on July 25.
