ValleyCats Make History in Doubleheader Sweep
July 29, 2021 - Frontier League (FL)
Tri-City ValleyCats News Release
TROY, NY - History was made at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in front of a near-sellout crowd of 4,326, as the Tri-City ValleyCats (27-27, 12-8) saw single-season and franchise records fall during a doubleheader sweep of the New York Boulders (24-30, 8-9). Right-handed closer Trey Cochran-Gill helped the 'Cats close out the top half of the twin bill successfully to earn his league-leading 15th save of the season, setting single-season and franchise records formerly held by Blake Ford (14, 2012).
Game 1: Tri-City 8, New York 7
Starting off a delayed doubleheader that was originally scheduled for Tuesday but reduced to a single game due to rain, The 'Cats got on the board in the home half of the second with Zach Biermann lacing just his second professional triple deep to right center to score a run and the coming in himself on the first of five consecutive hits from Chris Kwitzer stemming into game two.
Led along by winning pitcher Turner Larkins (2-2), Tri-City pushed across three more in the fourth inning, with Oscar Campos sending a ball deep to left center that took a hop on the right side of the wall for his second home run of the year. Larkins got relief from Cochran-Gill in the sixth, as four runs came across for the Boulders off a wild pitch, an RBI double, and a sacrifice fly.
The Tallassee, Alabama native pitched the final two innings in place of Larkins, who allowed four earned runs on seven hits and struck out three. New York's offense had one final punch left in the top of the seventh, with Kevonte Mitchell taking a three-run shot off Cochran-Gill to make it a one-run game. The league leader in saves closed out the game with back-to-back strikeouts as the 'Cats saw their first pre-independent record fall. Right-hander Orsen Josephina (3-2) took the loss by giving up five earned runs over as many innings, while the 'Cats saw three-hit outings from both Biermann, who was a home run away from the cycle, and Kwitzer, who recorded his first three-hit game of the year.
Game 2: Tri-City 6. New York 5
The nightcap of the ValleyCats ninth doubleheader of the season proved to be another comeback attempt on the part of the visitors, with Willy Garcia sending in his first of three RBI with a sacrifice fly in the home half of the first to get the 'Cats on the board. Following an inning on the mound from Austin Cline, left-hander Patrick Murphy struck out a professional-high four batters in two-and-two-thirds innings to move along the team through the middle innings.
Garcia would come through again in the bottom of the third, sending a two-RBI single to left center and then coming in on a sacrifice fly from Nelson Molina as Tri-City led by four after three. New York's uphill climb started a frame later, with the Boulders sending 10 to bat and scoring four to knot the game. Tri-City wasted little time in retaliating, however, with Denis Phipps batting in Oscar Campos on an RBI single to take a 5-4 lead.
With right-hander Francisco Jimenez laboring late in the game for the home team, a bases-loaded sacrifice fly from Ryan Ramiz tied the game at five, with the 'Cats needing to head to the home half of the frame. Garcia, who walked on the second at-bat of the inning, came home to batters later from third on an RBI single from Juan Silverio to give the 'Cats a 6-5 victory and a 6-5 lead in the season series against their division foes. Tanner Kiest (3-6) took the loss by giving up the game-winner, while Kwitzer logged his second straight multi-hit game to lead the team offensively.
Tri-City will now look to end a nine-game homestand on a high note, with a midweek series sweep in reach. The two teams will have a quick turnaround for the ValleyCats' annual Camp Day game on Thursday, July 29 at 11:00 AM.
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