Hudson Valley Concedes Defeat to Staten Island in MiLB Double-Header

After Staten Island Yankees third basemen Casey Stevenson was tagged out at the plate after trying to score on an overthrow in the top of the seventh, a sigh of relief whispered through Dutchess Stadium.

However, on the very next pitch, right fielder Benjamin Gamel bounced one through the middle, scoring the go-ahead run. Three strikeouts later, he gave the Yankees a 3-2 win over the Hudson Valley Renegades in the first game of a double header.

Early on it was a pitching duel between Hudson Valley's Parker Markel and Staten Island's Bryan Mitchell. Through four innings the game was scoreless, with just two runners reaching scoring position. Markel struck out six batters in five innings and Mitchell struck out five in 4.2 innings.

Staten Island got on the board first in the top of the fifth inning. Tyler Austin led off with a double, advancing to third on a failed pickoff, followed by a Shane Brown walk. Stevenson drove in Austin with an RBI groundout, and Gamel drove in the second run with a single up the middle.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Renegades answered right back as Juniel Querecuto doubled down the left field line off reliever Vidal Nuno, scoring Brian Bryles and Chris Winder, who both walked against Mitchell.

Then, in the top of the seventh, Charles Cononie hit Stevenson on a 3-2 pitch, giving the Yankees a one out base runner. Pinch hitter Ali Castillo dribbled a 1-2 pitch up the third base line which Leonardo Reginatto threw into right field.

Stevenson initially was held up by his third base coach but when he saw the throw from right fielder Winder sail over the catcher's head, he tried to make it home. However, Cononie was backing up the play and relayed it to the catcher to get Stevenson at the plate.

"The ball got away from me," said Reginatto. "It was a mistake, and it probably ended up costing us the game."

With two outs, Gamel hit the first pitch he saw into center field to give the Yankees the lead as they went on to win 3-2.

If the first game was a disappointment, the second game was a gut-wrencher as the Renegades jumped out to a 5-0 lead through the second inning, which they maintained for most of the game.

However, with Hudson Valley leading 6-2 in the top of the seventh, the Renegades allowed four runs, three coming as a result of an error, sending the game to extra innings.

In the eighth, Renegades pitcher Dave Laufer allowed two runs and once again the Yankees won, this time 8-6. "I'm not played with the errors," said Renegades manager Jared Sandberg, whose team allowed four unearned runs between the two games. "It's a shame to waste such a good pitching night."