NYPL Hudson Valley Renegades

Stopped Short by Shortstop

July 28, 2019 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Hudson Valley Renegades News Release


ABERDEEN, MD - Ironbirds shortstop Joseph Ortiz defied the .202 batting average he owned entering play on Saturday by going 4-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored as Aberdeen topped Hudson Valley 5-2 Saturday evening from Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium.

Aberdeen started the scoring in the third with a single run. Ortiz led off with a single to left, moved to second on a wild pitch from Hudson Valley starter Daiveyon Whittle, went to third on a groundball single to right from ightfielder Shayne Fontana, then scored on a one-out sacrifice fly to left by Toby Welk to put the Ironbirds on the board.

The home team added to their lead with two unearned runs in the fourth; and it all began with two out and nobody on base. Leftfielder Craig Lewis started the rally with a single to center. Catcher Maverick Handley followed by hitting what should have been an inning-ending groundball to Renegades second baseman Ben Troike. However, Troike booted the ball into rightfield, which sent Lewis to third and allowed the inning to continue. After Handley stole second base, Ortiz ripped a line-drive double to left to bring in both runners and give Aberdeen a 3-0 lead.

The Ironbirds got another run in the fifth. With one out, centerfielder Kyle Stowers drilled a double to center before promptly stealing third. The next hitter, first baseman Andrew Draschbach, then grounded to Renegades shortstop Greg Jones with the infield in. Jones fired home to try and retire Stowers, however Stowers beat the throw and upped the Aberdeen lead to 4-0.

The Renegades had a chance to get back into the game in the sixth when two walks and a single loaded the bases with one out. Jones though, would strike out swinging against Ironbirds reliever Morgan McSweeney and rightfielder Hill Alexander flew out to right to end the threat.

Aberdeen plated their final run in the seventh when Clay Fisher belted his second homerun of the season. It was a solo shot to leftfield and made the score 5-0 Ironbirds.

Hudson Valley would plate their only two runs of the game in the eighth inning. Centerfielder Garrett Hiott delivered a bloop single to center to start the rally. After a fly out for out number two, Jones drew a walk and Alexander delivered a two-run triple to center to pull the Renegades to within three.

However, Aberdeen reliever Connor Gillispie would retire the next four hitters he faced, including 1-2-3 in the ninth inning, to finish the game. The win went to McSweeney (2-0) who delivered three shutout innings on a hit. The loss fell to Whittle (0-1) who gave up four runs, two earned, on seven hits over 4.1 innings. It was easily his worst performance of 2019 after allowing only one earned run in the first 26 innings of his campaign entering play on Saturday. Starting pitcher Jake Lyons was sensational for the Ironbirds after he retired 12 of the 13 hitters he faced over four no-hit, shutout innings. His only baserunner he allowed was a hit-batsman of Jones in the fourth.

Aberdeen again outhit Hudson Valley; this time 11-3. In addition to Ortiz, Lewis went 3-4 with a run and double, while Fontana chipped in with a couple of singles. No one had more than one hit for the Renegades who struck out 11 times in the ballgame.

The Renegades will now take on the Ironbirds in the rubber-game of their three-game set tomorrow at 4:05. Hudson Valley will send southpaw Ben Brecht (0-0, 1.59 ERA) to the hill against righty Dan Hammer (0-0, 0.00 ERA) for Aberdeen.

Hudson Valley returns home on Tuesday, July 30th as they kick-off a six-game homestand against the Auburn Doubledays in a 7:05 start. It will be the longest homestand this season for the Renegades. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased online at hvrenegades.com, at the Dutchess Stadium ticket window, or by calling the ticket office at (845) 838-0094.

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New York-Penn League Stories from July 28, 2019


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