ValleyCats Stumble to Jackals
June 5, 2021 - Frontier League (FL)
Tri-City ValleyCats News Release
TROY, NY - Despite a trio of solo home runs including a pair to begin the team's night offensively, the Tri-City ValleyCats (1-7) could not turn their losing ways around, failing, 7-5, to the New Jersey Jackals (5-3) at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium Saturday evening.
Looking to end a six-game losing skid in front of a crowd of 1,501, the 'Cats went yard in their first two at-bats, with shortstop Keaton Weisz and center fielder Carson Maxwell each launching their second home runs of the season to left field for an early 2-0 Tri-City lead. Things stayed quiet through the early innings thereafter, with right-hander Josh Hiatt settling in with a pair of strikeouts in what would turn out to be a no-decision in five and one-third innings for the 'Cats starter.
Riding an exceptional professional debut from left-hander Jared Milch, who struck out six in four and two-third innings, the Jackals displayed a crooked inning to take a 4-2 lead in the top of the fourth, with two singles and a sacrifice fly getting the job done. Tr-City right fielder Denis Phipps kicked off a pair of clutch scoring plays with an RBI single that plated a pair to knot the game back up at four in the home half of the fifth.
With the ValleyCats trying to shake off a lopsided result from the previous evening that occurring during bullpen innings, the Jackals took hold of another crooked frame to take a 7-4 lead in the to of the seventh, sending eight to the plate and scoring off a wild pitch, an RBI single, and an RBI double. Tri-City's only answer came from Phipps, who rocketed a solo home run of his own into left field in the bottom of the eighth. The 'Cats stranded a pair of runners during the final two innings, with the potential game-tying run striking out at the plate to put the night in the books.
New Jersey reliever Jason Zgardowski (2-0) took home the win with two and one-third scoreless innings while striking out three, while Tri-City's Dario Polanco (0-1) took the loss by surrendering three runs on as many hits in one-third of a frame. Four 'Cats had multi-hit performances at the plate, with Weisz going 3-5 to lead the team offensively.
The ValleyCats will look to salvage a game in the weekend series against their Can-Am Conference rivals on Sunday, June 6 at 3:00 PM, with gates set to open at The Joe at 1:45 PM for the first of eight Sunday Funday promotions at the ballpark. Click Here for tickets.
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