ValleyCats lose a long one
July 15, 2004 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Tri-City ValleyCats News Release
Trpy, NY-A night after having their final game of a three game series rained out in Oneonta, the Oneonta Tigers beat the Tri-City ValleyCats 3-2 in 17 innings before 1,805 in the first of a two game set at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.
Oneonta got the first run to cross home plate in the third inning off of ValleyCats starter Ronnie Martinez. Octavio Amezquita hit a solo home run onto the hill in leftfield to give the Tigers an early 1-0 lead. Martinez did not make another error on the evening. He retired the next thirteen Tigers batters in order.
Save for his blemish in the third inning, Martinez engaged Tigers starter Josh Kauten in a pitchers duel through much of the game. Martinez pitched six innings of one-run ball. He allowed just two hits, walked one, and struck out five. Kauten, meanwhile, held the ValleyCats bats in check until the fifth inning.
Hunter Pence led off the inning with a double and came around to score on an RBI single by Brandon Averill. The game was tied at 1-1.
When Kauten got into trouble in the sixth inning, Tigers manager Mike Rojas did not hesitate to pull him out of the game. The trouble began when Mario Garza reached first base on an error by his Rafael Mendez. Francisco Caraballo singled, moved Garza to third base, and knocked Kauten out of the game. Damien Myers came into the game and walked Kevin Vital to load the bases.
Lou Santangelo struck out and then Hunter Pence walked to force home Garza and put the 'Cats ahead 2-1.
Martinez was in line for the win when Chad Reineke took the mound for the eighth inning. With one out, Dusty Ryan smacked a double that went off the glove of Hunter Pence in centerfield. Rojas lifted Ryan for a pinch runner, Matt Williams. After Rafael Mendez flew out for the second out of the inning, Brooks Colvin blooped a single into short right field. Williams motored around from second base to tie game at 2-2. Reineke's blown save was just the second of the season for ValleyCats pitching.
Reineke stayed on for the top of the ninth inning and retired the Tigers in order. The ValleyCats fell quietly in the ninth inning and the game went to extra innings.
Paul Estrada came on in the tenth. He pitched three scoreless innings and was followed by Casey Brown's three scoreless innings. Bo Edmiston came on to pitch the sixteenth inning and retired the Tigers in order. The seventeenth inning was a different story. Juan Ilamas led off the top of the seventeenth with a double. He went to third base with a sacrafice bunt by Bo Flowers. Then with one out and the infield in, Jeff Frazier hit a ball up the right-field line in foul territory. James Cooper made the catch and as Ilamas tagged up at third base, Cooper threw it home. The ball went slightly up the line. The catcher Santangelo dove and tried to tag Ilamas, who dove towards home plate as Santangelo dove towards him with the tag. Home plate umpire Jason Creek ruled Santangelo missed the tag. The Tigers had a 3-2 lead and would finish with a 3-2 victory.
The series continues tomorrow night with Evan Englebrook on the mound for Tri-City. The game can be heard on AM 1160 WABY Mechanicville and AM 900 WUAM Saratoga Springs.
New York-Penn League Stories from July 15, 2004
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