"I'll meet you halfway. That's better than no way."---The Partridge Family, 1970.
On the 2nd anniversary of the passing of team founder Bill Gladstone, the Tri-City Valleycats began what they hope is a new pre-season tradition, a pre-season game vs. the Vikings of Hudson Valley Community College.
While the 'Cats are promoting their 2022 home opener on May 17, today's game, despite being a Vikings home game, was sparsely attended. There weren't many of the usual Valleycat fans lining the concourse, even though admission was free. This was the first time I had a chance to see the Vikings, and apparently, with HVCC still in remote learning due to COVID-19, the small crowd may well be par for the course.
The reason for the above lyric? The Vikings used aluminum bats as normal. The Valleycats had wooden bats. Big difference. Likely for reasons related to their respective leagues, the teams couldn't both use aluminum or wood. Something to think about for next year.
On to the game. The 'Cats hit the ground running, and never stopped. Fans were led to believe this would be a 9 inning game, which is the standard in major colleges and pro baseball. Instead, it was a 7 inning game. Any shorter, and the mercy rule would've been invoked.
Newcomer Brantley Bell set the table with one out in the first, reaching on an infield single. After a walk to Brad Zunica, Willy Garcia singled to bring home Bell with the game's first run. Zach Biermann followed suit, as Zunica scored, with Garcia reaching third, where he scored on a sacrifice fly by Juan Silverio. A ground rule double by Carson McCusker plated Biermann, and the 'Cats led, 4-0, before the Vikings could go on offense.
Jack DeFayette (Schalmont) led off the home 1st with a single, but was quickly erased on a double play. In the 2nd, Tri-City added four more runs. Three straight walks with one out brought up Garcia, who reached on an error, allowing Bell and another new 'Cat, Pavin Parks, to score.
Hudson Valley finally got on the board in the home 2nd. Josh Foglia (Shaker) led off with a double, and came around on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Shader (Galway). Walks, for the most part, were the reason for the Vikings' pitchers having so many problems. Tri-City added 4 more runs in the 3rd. HVCC plated their last two runs in the home half.
In case anyone wondered if anyone was hitting one out today, that question was answered in the 4th, when another new Valleycat, Jesus Lujano, launched a three run homer to right. That made the score, 15-4. Tri-City scored in every inning, and the bullpen shut the door, en route to a 21-4 win.
Paid admissions will start with the next pre-season game on Wednesday. The official home opener is May 17, when Lake Erie makes its first trip to Troy. Education Day will be the final game of the series vs. Lake Erie on May 19.
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