Gingras Smashes 'Cats to Victory
Published on August 4, 2014 under New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Tri-City ValleyCats News Release
TROY, NY - With his team down by a run with two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the eighth inning, Tri-City first baseman Ricky Gingras hit a two-run home run over the right field wall as the ValleyCats defeated the Batavia Muckdogs 4-3 on Monday afternoon at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.
The Muckdogs took the lead early, scoring two runs in the first inning off of ValleyCats starter Austin Chrismon. However, Chrismon rebounded by throwing six additional scoreless frames en route to a career-high seven innings pitched.
The ValleyCats got Chrismon off the hook, slowly but surely, erasing Batavia's lead, getting on the board in the second inning when Ricky Gingras scored on a fly ball by Alfredo Gonzalez that was misplayed by Muckdogs' right fielder Wildert Pujols.
Gingras then tied up the game in the bottom of the sixth, driving home Terrell Joyce with a two-out RBI single.
The Muckdogs took the lead back in the top of the eighth, when Iramis Olivencia started the frame with a double off of 'Cats reliever Aaron Vaughn. Two batters later, Mason Davis drove home Olivencia with a single off of left-hander Jordan Mills.
That sent the game into the eighth with Tri-City behind 3-2. But after Nick Tanielu struck out, Joyce walked. Then, after Muckdogs righty Josh Hodges struck out Jose Solano for the second out, Gingras launched the first pitch he saw from the Batavia reliever out of the park for his first homer of the season, giving the 'Cats their first lead of the day.
Tri-City closer Ryan Thompson, who entered the game in the top of the ninth for the second straight day, struck out the side for his team-leading seventh save of the season.
Mills (1-1) earned the win for the 'Cats, while Gingras led the way offensively. The Hermet, Calif., native finished the day 3-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs .
Joyce (2-3 with two runs) and Ariel Ovando (2-4) also contributed multi-hit games for Tri-City, while catcher Alfredo Gonzalez went 1-4 at the plate, while picking off a Batavia baserunner, and throwing out another trying to steal a base.
With the victory, the ValleyCats completed a three-game series sweep of the Muckdogs, their fifth sweep of a New-York Penn League opponent this season. The win also extends the 'Cats winning streak to four games, the fifth time in 2014 that Tri-City has won that many consecutive games.
After a day off on Tuesday, the ValleyCats will head out on the road for a six-game road trip. They start with a three-game set against the Auburn Doubledays, before the 'Cats will head to Hudson Valley to take on the Renegades. Following that series, the team will then head home to "The Joe" for a three game series against the Renegades beginning on Aug. 12th.
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