ValleyCats Nearly Erase 10-Run Deficit
May 30, 2023 - Frontier League (FL)
Tri-City ValleyCats News Release
TROY, NY - The Tri-City ValleyCats nearly had an improbable comeback against the Trois-Rivières Aigles, but ultimately fell 12-11 on Tuesday at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.
The Aigles opened the scoring. Nate Scantlin worked a leadoff walk against Brett Hanewich in the first. Juan Kelly reached on a one-out walk before Steve Brown laced an RBI double. Nolan Machibroda followed suit with an RBI single. Two batters later, Parker DePasquale picked up his first hit of the year to bring home Brown, and give the Aigles a 3-0 lead.
Scantlin lifted a solo homer off Gaylan Young in the second to pull the Aigles ahead, 4-0.
Trois-Rivières had a six-run third inning to extend its lead to 10-0. The frame was highlighted by a Juan Kelly two-run blast, and a two-run single from Caleb Feuerstake off Aaron Ernst.
Tri-City got on the board in the fourth. Cito Culver led off with a double off Tucker Smith. McCusker drove in Culver with a single. Trey Hair reached on an error from DePasquale, which moved McCusker to third. Zach Biermann drove in a run with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 10-2.
The Aigles extended their lead back to 10 runs in the fifth. Feuerstake was hit by a pitch, and then stole second. Scantlin poked an RBI single. Scantlin advanced to second on a Rodrigo Orozco base hit, and came around on a single from Brown.
Pavin Parks launched his first homer of the season in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 12-3 ballgame.
The ValleyCats made it a 12-5 affair in the sixth. McCusker hit a towering blast for his fourth homer of the season to lead off the frame. Afterward, Hair singled, and two batters later Biermann moved him to third with a double. Austin Elder popped up a ball just barely on the outfield grass. Shortstop Sadler Goodwin fell onto his rear end battling the wind to catch the ball, which allowed Hair to tag up and score.
The ValleyCats added pressure in the eighth. Hair smoked a one-out double off Jesen Therrien. Aaron Altherr was hit by a pitch. Biermann walked, and all runners advanced 90 feet on a passed ball. Elder followed suit with a sac fly to cut the deficit to 12-7.
Tri-City had the go-ahead run at the plate in the ninth. The inning started off with a walk issued by James Bradwell to Juan Montes. Hallmark singled and Culver drove in a pair with his team-leading seventh double. McCusker notched his third hit of the game before Hair ripped a single to left. The ball went underneath the glove of Malik Williams, allowing McCusker to score, and make it a 12-11 ballgame. Hair attempted to go to third on the error from Williams, and was thrown out of a 7-6-5 putout. Biermann collected a two-out single, and went to second on an error from DePasquale. Frankie Guiliano came into pitch and Ciaran Devenney pinch hit at the plate for the left-on-right matchup. The southpaw nearly induced a game-ending flyout, but it fell between three fielders in foul ground. Guiliano buckled down, and struck out Devenney to record his first save of the season.
Overall, the ValleyCats rally was made possible because Brendan Bell and Parks, who each tossed two scoreless frames.
Smith (3-1) earned the win. He went six innings, giving up five runs, four earned on eight hits, walking none, and striking out eight.
Hanewich (0-1) received the loss. He yielded three runs on four hits, walking two, and striking out two in an inning of work.
Tri-City continues its first six-game homestand of the season on Wednesday, May 31 against the Trois-Rivières with the first Education Day of the season. First pitch is scheduled for 10:00 AM EDT.
FINAL | TROIS-RIVIÈRES 12 | TRI-CITY 11
W: Tucker Smith (3-1)
L: Brett Hanewich (0-1)
S: Frankie Guiliano (1)
Attendance: 1,523
Season Twenty-FUN of ValleyCats baseball and entertainment continues at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on Wednesday, May 31 against the Trois-Rivières Aigles where it will be the first Education Day driven by Transfinder and Regeneron. 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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