Hallmark's Grand Slam Provides ValleyCats with First Road Sweep of 2023
July 2, 2023 - Frontier League (FL)
Tri-City ValleyCats News Release
PATERSON, NJ - The Tri-City ValleyCats (27-18) swept the New Jersey Jackals (27-16) on Sunday with a 9-5 victory in the series finale of a three-game set at Hinchliffe Stadium thanks to clutch hitting, and another good outing from the bullpen. It was the second sweep of the 2023 campaign for Tri-City, and its first since taking all three games against the Florence Y'alls from June 17-18. The ValleyCats are now just one game behind first place New Jersey and the Sussex County Miners in the Frontier League East Division.
Tri-City opened the scoring for the third consecutive game. Aaron Altherr led off the second with a double off Anthony Rodriguez. Robbie Merced singled, and Altherr came around on an error from Jordan Howard to put the ValleyCats on top, 1-0.
New Jersey took the lead in the bottom of the second. Keon Barnum singled off Dwayne Marshall before Josh Rehwaldt hit a two-run homer to give the Jackals a 2-1 lead.
Tri-City set the stage for Jaxon Hallmark in the third after a pair of singles from Cale Jones and Jakob Goldfarb along with a walk issued to Altherr. Hallmark clobbered the ValleyCats second grand slam of the season, and the first since Pat Adams in Gateway on June 11. Hallmark's sixth homer of 2023 campaign provided Tri-City with a 5-2 advantage.
New Jersey responded in the bottom of the third. Austin White singled, and was driven in on a double from Ti'Quan Forbes. Phillip Ervin knocked in Forbes with a two-bagger. Ervin went to third on a flyout from James Nelson. Rehwaldt made it a 5-5 affair after reaching on an RBI fielder's choice.
The ValleyCats struck again in the fifth. Goldfarb and Cito Culver hit back-to-back singles. Altherr brought in Goldfarb with a base hit, and Culver moved to third. Hallmark collected his fifth RBI of the game with a fielder's choice to provide Tri-City with a 7-5 lead. Hallmark joins Altherr, Adams, Goldfarb, and Carson McCusker as the only players with Tri-City to have a five-plus RBI effort this season.
The ValleyCats blew the game open in the ninth. Pavin Parks hit an infield single off Dazon Cole, and Altherr mashed a two-run jack. His eighth home run of the year pulled the 'Cats ahead, 9-5.
Coleman Huntley, Greg Veliz, and Reymin Guduan recorded the final 10 outs for Tri-City. The ValleyCats' bullpen extended their scoreless streak to 13.2 innings.
Marshall (5-1) earned the win. He tossed 5.2 innings, yielding five runs on seven hits, and walking two.
Rodriguez (2-5) received the loss. He threw five frames, giving up seven runs, six earned on eight hits, walking two, and striking out four.
Tri-City has a day off on Monday, and will begin a three-game series at "The Joe" against the Empire State Greys on Tuesday, July 4. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 PM.
FINAL | TRI-CITY 9 | NEW JERSEY 5
W: Dwayne Marshall (5-1)
L: Anthony Rodriguez (2-5)
Time of Game: 2:56
Season Twenty-FUN of ValleyCats baseball and entertainment continues at Joe Bruno on July 4 to open a three-game series against the Empire State Greys. To honor Independence Day, there will be a Fourth of July celebration and postgame fireworks. You can secure your seats today and be a part of the excitement by logging on to tcvalleycats.com or by calling 518-629-CATS (2287).
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