ValleyCats clinch home field for Wild Card game Tuesday
AUGUSTA, N.J. (NEWS10) -- The Tri-City ValleyCats closed out the regular season with a 6-3 road win over the Sussex County Miners Sunday, clinching home field advantage for the East Division Wild Card game Tuesday, Sep. 3.
Tri-City will be host the Ottawa Titans at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on Tuesday. First pitch for the one-game playoff matchup is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Purchase tickets through this link, or call the box office at 518-629-CATS (2287).
Tri-City opened the scoring for the second straight game against the Miners. Mike Reagan plunked Ian Walters in the second inning. Chris Burgess then walked. Cam Jones laid down a sac bunt to advance both runners, and Elvis Peralta lifted a sacrifice fly to give the ValleyCats a 1-0 lead.
The 'Cats tacked on to their lead in the third. Dylan Broderick walked, and came around to score on a double from Oscar Campos to push the score to 2-0
Walters walked in the fourth. Burgess then lifted a two-run jack for his 10th homer of the season to put Tri-City on top, 4-0.
Sussex County got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Oraj Anu singled off Jhon Vargas, and moved to second after a groundout from Evan Giordano. Alec Sayre picked up an infield single off reliever Gino Sabatine; a throwing error from Peralta on the play allowed Anu to score and the Miners to draw within three runs.
Vargas received a no-decision. He pitched 3.2 innings, yielding an unearned run on two hits and walked three.
Tri-City would get that run back, though, and then some in the seventh frame. Peralta reached on a fielding error from Anu to start the inning. Peralta then stole second base, and moved to third after a throwing error from Kyle Richards. Jaxon Hallmark brought in Peralta with an RBI fielder’s choice, and also reached base safely on the play. He'd move up to second on a wild pitch, and went to third following a groundout from Javeyan Williams. Broderick drove in Hallmark with a double to make it a 6-1 contest.
The Miners tacked on a pair of runs in the eighth. Jordan Smith singled off Nick DeCarlo, and went to third after a single from Hunter D’Amato. Smith crossed the plate after a passed ball, and D’Amato went to second. Cory Acton walked, and Anu collected an RBI single to make it a 6-3 affair.
Zeke Wood entered with the bases loaded in the eighth, and tossed 1.2 scoreless innings, striking out two for his seventh save of the season.
Sabatine (6-1) earned the win. He turned in 3.1 scoreless innings, and allowed three hits.
Reagan (4-9) received the loss. He lasted 6.2 innings, giving up six runs, four earned on three hits, walking three, and striking out five.