ValleyCats Explode for 24 Runs in Rubber Game
June 11, 2023 - Frontier League (FL)
Tri-City ValleyCats News Release
SAUGET, IL - The Tri-City ValleyCats (14-13) belted a season-high eight homers to take a dramatic 24-12 win against the first-place Gateway Grizzlies (19-7) on Sunday at Grizzlies Ballpark. The nine runs in the eighth was the most the ValleyCats scored in an inning this year. Tri-City was previously 0-for-9 when trailing after seven innings this season. Overall, the ValleyCats went 3-3 on their six-game road trip against the Grizzlies, and the Evansville Otters.
Gateway opened the scoring for the second consecutive day. Rafi Vazquez issued a walk to Eric Rivera. Clint Freeman went to second on an error from Aaron Altherr, and Rivera moved to third. Peter Zimmerman and Andrew Penner hit back-to-back RBI singles to give the Grizzlies a 2-0 lead.
Carson McCusker ripped a solo homer off Carson LaRue in the second. Pavin Parks and Juan Montes each worked a two-out walk. Pat Adams tied up the game, 2-2, with an RBI single.
Gateway broke the deadlock in the third. Gabe Holt singled, and advanced to second on an error from Jaxon Hallmark. Rivera singled, and Holt went to third. Rivera stole second before Freeman drove in both baserunners with a single. Zimmerman and Penner then singled to load the bases. D.J. Stewart cashed in with a two-run single to pull the Grizzlies ahead, 6-2.
Gateway padded its lead in the fourth. Holt led off the frame with a triple, and crossed the plate after an RBI groundout from Rivera. Zimmerman blasted a solo homer to put the Grizzlies on top, 8-2.
Vazquez received a no-decision. He tossed four innings, yielding eight runs, seven earned on 10 hits, walking one, and striking out one.
Tri-City rallied in the fifth. Goldfarb walked, and McCusker followed suit with his second long ball of the afternoon. Trey Hair singled to knock LaRue out of the game. Altherr mashed a two-run blast off Nate Garkow, his third of the season, to cut the deficit to 8-6.
LaRue was also handed a no-decision. He threw four frames, giving up five runs on six hits, walking four, and striking out five.
The ValleyCats had a chance to jump ahead in the seventh. McCusker greeted Cameron Johnson with a single in the seventh. Hair walked, and Altherr notched his second RBI of the day to make it an 8-7 ballgame. Parks walked to load the bases. Johnson stranded all three baserunners after striking out Montes, and inducing Adams into a 4-6-3 double play.
The Grizzlies provided some insurance in the bottom of the seventh. Penner collected his third hit of the game with a double off Matt Dunaway. Penner came around to score on a double from Jairus Richards, who then stole third. Afterward, Stewart hit a sac fly. Alex Hernandez was hit by a pitch, and Abdiel Diaz walked. Holt singled in Hernandez, and Diaz moved to third. Freeman picked up the second sac fly of the inning to give Gateway a 12-7 advantage.
Tri-City stormed back with a nine-run eighth. Ben Krizen issued a walk to Hallmark. Culver doubled, which sent Hallmark to third. The latter crossed the plate on a wild pitch. McCusker reached on an error from Stewart, and Culver scored. Hair doubled in a run against Alec Whaley. Altherr then had a two-run two-bagger to tie the game. Parks cranked the go-ahead, two-run blast for his third homer of the 2023 campaign. Hallmark and Culver launched back-to-back homers off Zac Treece to take a 16-12 lead. Hallmark and Culver each clubbed their fourth homers of the season. It was the first time this year two ValleyCats players have gone back-to-back with the long ball.
The party was not over yet as the ValleyCats blew the game wide open with an eight-run ninth. Hair singled and Altherr doubled. Parks was intentionally walked, and Montes ripped an RBI single. Afterward, Adams clobbered his first homer with Tri-City, and the ValleyCats' first grand slam of the 2023 campaign. Culver and Goldfarb singled before McCusker went deep for the third time to extend the 'Cats lead to 24-12. McCusker became the first player in the Frontier League to have a three-homer game since his current teammate Zach Biermann had the trifecta with the Evansville Otters against the Schaumburg Boomers at Wintrust Field on June 15, 2022. It was McCusker's 11th homer of the season.
Dunaway (1-0) earned the win. He went an inning, allowing four runs on three hits, walking two, and striking out none.
Whaley (0-1) received the loss. He did not record an out, and allowed four runs on three hits.
Before today's game, no ValleyCat had a 5-RBI game. This afternoon, McCusker had 7 RBI, while Altherr and Adams drove in five apiece. McCusker became the first player with Tri-City this year to score five times, and Parks became the first player with the ValleyCats this season to walk five times. Additionally, every starter reached base safely at least two times. Overall, both teams combined for 36 hits.
The ValleyCats have the day off tomorrow before returning to Joseph L. Bruno Stadium for a six-game homestand. Tri-City begins the homestand with a three-game set against the Lake Erie Crushers on Tuesday, June 13. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 PM.
FINAL | TRI-CITY 24 | GATEWAY 12
W: Matt Dunaway (1-0)
L: Alec Whaley (0-1)
Time of Game: 3:37
Attendance: 1,536
BOX SCORE
Season Twenty-FUN of ValleyCats baseball and entertainment continues at "The Joe" on Tuesday as the ValleyCats will play in their "Los Puentes de Tri-City" jerseys. The Lake Erie Crushers will play in Troy from June 13-15, and the Florence Y'alls make their first ever trip to "The Joe" with a three-game set from June 16-18. 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).
Frontier League Stories from June 11, 2023
- Watland Leads Otters Past Boomers - Evansville Otters
- ValleyCats Explode for 24 Runs in Rubber Game - Tri-City ValleyCats
- Extra-Base Hits Deny the Boomers a Sweep - Schaumburg Boomers
- Wild Things Drop Finale in Quebec, Still Take Series - Washington Wild Things
- Grizzlies Fall Hard in Series Finale - Gateway Grizzlies
- Christman Complete Game Snaps Skid - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Titans Rout Slammers to Complete Sweep - Ottawa Titans
- Crushers held to three hits in 3-0 loss - Lake Erie Crushers
- Y'alls Allow Late-Inning Power Surge, Drop Game Three - Florence Y'alls
- Boulders Fall to Miners, 7-3 - New York Boulders
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