FISHKILL, NY --- J.P. Ramirez's RBI double snapped a 2-2 in the fifth inning of game two as the Vermont Lake Monsters beat Hudson Valley 4-2 in the nightcap of a New York-Penn League doubleheader Friday night at Dutchess Stadium after the Renegades had taken the opener 2-1.The Lake Monsters took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning of game two on a two-run homer from Ricky Nolan, playing in just his second game of the season for Vermont. The Renegades quickly tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of runs, including an RBI double from Elias Otero.
Sean Nicol reached on a two-base fielding error to lead off the fifth and quickly scored on Ramirez's RBI double off Renegades reliever Devin Fuller (0-1) for a 3-2 Lake Monsters lead. Vermont added an insurance run in the sixth on a Nicol RBI single that scored Justin Bloxom, who had led off the inning with one of Lake Monsters six walks in the game.
Starter Graham Hicks (1-1) picked up his first professional win as he allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits over five innings for the win, while Johan Figuereo tossed a scoreless ninth for his first save. Hudson Valley starter Glenn Gibson, a member of the 2007 Vermont Lake Monsters, allowed two runs on three hits with four walks and two strikeouts in four innngs for a no-decision.
Trevor Holder, the Washington Nationals third-round selection in the 2009 draft, made his professional debut in the opening game of the doubleheader. The right-hander tossed three scoreless innings with three hits allowed and one strikeout, getting inning-ending double plays in the first two innings and a inning-ending caught stealing in the third to face just the minimum nine batters over three innings.
Juan Jaime took over for Holder in the fourth inning and with a runner on first with two outs lost the strike zone. After walking Eligio Sonoqui and hitting Brett Nommensen to load the bases, Jaime then walked Mark Thomas and Bennett Davis back-to-back to force home the Renegades two runs.
Vermont got its only run of the opener in the fifth as Justin Bloxom walked, moved to second on a Jack Walker single (Lake Monsters only hit of game), moved to third on a walk to Francisco Soriano and then scored on a J.J. Sferra groundout.
The Renegades had a chance for insurance runs in the sixth off reliever Shane Erb as they loaded the bases with no outs, but Erb got a forceout at home and a strikeout before Clayton Dill came on to record a strikeout to end the threat without a run scoring. Walker started the seventh inning with a walk and moved to third on a wild pitch and groundout, but Zachary Quate struckout Soriano and Sferra with the tying run on third to end the game for his second save of the season.
With the doubleheader split, the Lake Monsters are at the .500 mark for the fourth time this season. Vermont (7-7) will try and get over .500 for the first time this season when they host Hudson Valley (5-9) on Saturday at historic Centennial Field beginning at a special start time of 4:05 pm. The first 500 fans who enter the ballpark when the gates open at 2:30 will receive a Barack Obama Bobblehead Doll as the Lake Monsters celebrate the Fourth of July.
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