ValleyCats Split Second Straight Doubleheader
July 24, 2021 - Frontier League (FL)
Tri-City ValleyCats News Release
TROY, NY - For only the third time in the 20-year history of the club, the Tri-City ValleyCats (24-26, 9-7) took part in a doubleheader for the second consecutive day. The 'Cats topped Atlantic Division rivals Equipe Quebec (24-27, 5-9), 13-6, in game one, before falling, 2-1 in the nightcap in front of a crowd of 1,907 at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.
Game 1: Tri-City 13, Quebec 6
Coming off a doubleheader split the previous night at The Joe, the 'Cats broke out to a 6-1 lead after two innings. After Quebec's L.P. Pelletier took the first pitch of the game deep to left field, the home team used an RBI single in the bottom of the frame and added five more runs while sending 10 to bat in the following frame. Denis Phipps' seventh homer of the year highlighted a three-run insurance frame in the bottom of the third to give Tri-City a 9-1 advantage.
After Quebec countered with a five-run frame of its own to bring the deficit to three in the top of the fifth, the 'Cats plated four more runs en-route to their highest scoring effort of the year to-date. Phipps and Willy Garcia drove in three runs apiece, while Nelson Molina went 3-3 with a pair of RB and crossed the plate three times, including a solo shot in the fifth inning.
Following four-and-two thirds innings of solid ball in his first professional start, right-hander Jose Cruz paved the way for closer Trey Cochran-Gill (2-1) to earn the win in the final two innings. Quebec right-hander Adam McKillican (0-1) took the loss in just an inning of work, allowing six runs (four earned) on four hits and walking five.
Game 2: Quebec 2, Tri-City 1
The ValleyCats picked up where they left off to start out their fourth game in 24 hours, with Phipps sending in the team's leadoff batter in Molina on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the opening frame. Right-hander Erick Heredia led the defense along on what would be four-and-two-thirds innings of no-hit ball into the fifth, with only a single batter reaching before the visiting team's first hit.
Looking to build upon its first win in franchise history against the ValleyCats on Friday night, Equipe Quebec broke through on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth, with David Glaude plating a pair of leadoff runners with a two RBI single off Fransicso Jimenez (2-2), who suffered the loss in two and one third innings of work. David Gauthier (3-3) struck out one and allowed only three hits in three and two thirds innings of relief ball to take the win, while Evan Rucktyj earned a save for the second straight night, stranding ValleyCats on first and second in the seventh.
With both weekend doubleheaders resulting in splits, the division rivals will end the five-game weekend series with a rubber match on Sunday, July 25 at 5:00 PM. Gates will open at 3:30 on Basketball Hoopla Night.
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