NYPL Hudson Valley Renegades

Championship Bound: 'Gades Drop Cyclones 2-0

Published on September 10, 2012 under New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Hudson Valley Renegades News Release


WAPPINGERS FALLS (Monday, September 10): The Hudson Valley Renegades blanked the rival Brooklyn Cyclones 2-0 Monday night to advance to the New York-Penn League Championship Series, taking the win in front of 2,233 fans at Dutchess Stadium. Hudson Valley took the three-game semi-final series two games to one with the victory. The Renegades pitching staff stymied the Cyclones' offense by allowing a lone single in the third inning. It was sweet revenge for Hudson Valley, who dropped the season series to Brooklyn 7-3. The win punches Hudson Valley's ticket to the League Championship Series for the first time since the 1999 season, when they took home the league title.

The Cyclones threatened early on against Hudson Valley starter Taylor Guerrieri, who walked the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the first. Stefan Sabol came to the plate, having batted .333 against Hudson Valley in 2012, and lined a rocket to left. But left fielder Marty Gantt raced over and made a tremendous running catch, saving an extra-base hit and preventing any runs from scoring.

Hudson Valley racked up the only runs of the game in the bottom of the first. Center fielder Joey Rickard dropped a leadoff single into center field off Cyclones starter Luis Cessa. With one out, third baseman Richie Shaffer hammered a fastball into the left-center field gap. The ball rolled all the way to the wall, allowing Rickard to score and Shaffer to reach third on the RBI triple. Catcher Luke Maile came to the plate and worked a walk against Cessa, with the fourth ball a wild pitch; Shaffer sped home and scored to make it 2-0 Renegades.

From there, Brooklyn mustered very little offense. The Cyclones got a runner on second with two outs in the second inning, but a fly out to center ended the frame. Phillip Evans got a single in the third for their only hit, and moved to second on a two-out walk by Kevin Plawecki. Guerrieri bore down and got Sabol to ground out to third to end that threat. In the fourth, Guerrieri hit leadoff man Nelfi Zapata, but worked a fly out to center from Juan Carlos Gamboa and induced an inning-ending double play from Eudy Piña to finish the inning with no runs across.

At that point, the Renegades bullpen took over. Lefty reliever Brandon Henderson entered in the top of the fifth and dazzled Brooklyn hitters, retiring all 13 batters he faced with no trouble. He was pulled in the top of the ninth with one out because of Plawecki and Sabol's abilities against southpaws, with Renegades skipper Jared Sandberg putting in Ryan Garton to finish the game. Garton slammed the door, getting Plawecki to pop out to Shaffer at third and fanning Sabol on a fastball up the ladder to secure the win and start the celebration.

Guerrieri gave up just one hit in four innings, walking five and striking out three; his five walks matched his regular season total. Henderson got the win with 4.2 perfect innings of relief, striking out six. Garton earned the save, setting down both batters he faced and whiffing one.

Cessa took the loss with two runs allowed on four hits and a walk over six innings, striking out three and issuing two wild pitches. The wild pitches were his first of 2012. Matthew Bowman provided two scoreless innings of relief with three walks against three strikeouts.

The Renegades have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and head on the road for Game 1 of the League Championship Series to face the Tri-City Valley-Cats at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy, NY. Game- time is at 6:30 p.m., with Ben Gellman's pregame show starting at 6:15 p.m. on 1450 and 1370 AM WKIP, as well as online at HVRenegades.com.

Great seats at Dutchess Stadium are available for Wednesday's Game 2 of the League Championship Series for the Renegades, with first pitch set for 6:05 p.m. Hudson Valley would also host a Game 3 on Thursday if necessary. The Renegades are offering NYPL Championship ticket specials: general admission tickets cost just $10 for four, reserved seats are just $5 each, and box seats are only $8 per ticket. Tickets are going fast, so call the ticket office 845-838-0094 for more information, or go to www.hvrenegades.com to order yours now!

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New York-Penn League Stories from September 10, 2012


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