With just one matinee on their schedule this season, the Tri-City Valleycats made the most of it today, as they played for a sweep of their series against the New York Boulders at Bruno Stadium.
After Siena basketball coach Carmen Maciariello threw out the first pitch, newcomer Jose Cruz went to work. Not related to the namesake who played for Houston in their glory years of the 80's, Tri-City's Cruz labored through four innings and 91 pitches. In the 3rd, a single by Milton Smith, Jr. plated Phil Caulfield to give the Boulders a 1-0 lead. One inning later, Gian Martellini took Cruz out of the yard to give the guests a 3-0 advantage. However, Cruz survived the inning, but his day was over. He was clearly spent.
But there's a reason the 'Cats sit atop the Frontier League's Atlantic Division. What had been a doormat at the start of the season has found its groove.
In the home fourth, Zach Biermann, on his 2nd tour of duty with Tri-City, lined a sharp single leading off. One out later, after a walk to Juan Silverio, Luis Roman, another recent addition, singled to right, plating Biermann. With two out, Chris Kwitzer went shopping at the gap in right center, scoring Silverio & Roman to tie the game. The next batter, Carson Maxwell, launched his 11th homer of the season, ending the day for Nate Roe, a last minute substitution for Alex Mack as the Boulders' starter. Apparently, Mack wasn't able to leave his secret world in time. Nate Alexander retired Nelson Molina on a fly ball to end the inning.
But, the 'Cats weren't done.
After Silverio hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth, Kwitzer mashed his 4th homer of the season in the sixth to give Tri-City some breathing room at 7-3. In the eighth, with Jake Dexter on the mound, Tucker Nathans thought he saw a hot dog, and deposited it over the fence in center to trim the Valleycat lead to 7-4. In the home half, Andres Sosa answered Nathans' shot with his first of the season, restoring the lead to four at 8-4. With the lead at four going into the ninth, manager Pete Incaviglia decided not to use his closer, Trey Cochran-Gill, and went to A. J. Candelario instead.
New York's Phil Capra greeted Candelario with a wind-aided home run to right. Caulfield doubled, and came home after two ground outs, trimming the lead to two. Candelario then got Zach Kirkley to chase a third strike out of the zone to end it. Tri-City completes a four game sweep, 8-6.
The Valleycats now lead Equipe Quebec by 2 games in the Atlantic Division, pending the outcome of the Quebecois' game later tonight. Tri-City travels to Washington (PA) to play the Wild Things starting tomorrow, which also starts a six game road trip. The 'Cats return to Troy to play Sussex County August 6.
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