By Any Means Necessary

WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY-A walk-off balk by Brooklyn in the ninth inning proved to be the difference as the Hudson Valley Renegades snapped a five-game losing streak 6-5 over the Cyclones Sunday night from Dutchess Stadium.
The scoring started in the first inning for Brooklyn. With two out and a runner at third, first baseman Chase Chambers unloaded a two-run homerun over the rightfield wall to give the Cyclones a 2-0 lead. It was his third homer of the season.
Hudson Valley got a run back in the bottom-half. Shortstop Ford Proctor lined a leadoff double off the rightfield wall. He went to third on a single to center from catcher Erik Ostberg, before scoring on a lined single to left by third baseman Adrian Rondon to put Hudson Valley on the board.
Brooklyn got that run back in the fourth as Chambers led off with a single to short, went to second on a groundout, then scored on a groundball double down the rightfield line by rightfielder Jose Medina to make the score 3-1. In the fifth, the Cyclones would take control of the game after second baseman Carlos Cortes blasted another two-run homerun, this one to right-centerfield, to up Brooklyn's lead to 5-1. It was Cortes' second dinger of the season.
Hudson Valley, however, came storming back with three runs in the bottom of the inning. A single, walk and hit-batsmen loaded the bases with nobody out before Ostberg was plunked with another pitch to force in a run. With the bases still full, first-baseman Jacson McGowan lifted a sacrifice fly to right to bring in another run before Rondon drove in the third run with a single to center to bring the Renegades to within one.
Things stayed that way until the ninth when the Renegades got off the deck with two runs. The rally started with two out and no one on base as Rondon drew a walk. He went to second on a groundball single to center from first baseman Allen Smoot. The next hitter, rightfielder Marvin Malone, came up next and proceeded to rip the first pitch from Brooklyn closer Yeudy Colon into to center to score Rondon and tie the game while Smoot went to third. Before their at-bats, Smoot and Malone were a combined 0-7 with six strikeouts.
So with the winning run at third and two away, leftfielder David Parrett came to the plate and fell behind in the count 0-2 to Colon. However, the Cyclones right-hander balked before he could deliver the next pitch to score Smoot and give the Renegades the win.
Getting the win in relief for Hudson Valley was B.J. Myers (3-0) who tossed a scoreless ninth. The loss went to Colon (3-2) for Brooklyn after he allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits in one inning of work. He entered the game having allowed only one earned run in 20.2 innings for the season.
The Renegades had 10 hits in the game with three apiece coming from Rondon and centerfielder Michael Smith. Rondon singled three times, drove in two and scored the tying run. Smith went 3-4 with a double, stolen base and a run scored.
Brooklyn finished with 13 hits. Chambers led the way by going 3-4 with a homerun, double, two RBI, and two runs. Cortes finished 3-4 with his two-run homerun. Chipping in was leftfielder Ross Adolph who went 2-5 with a double and two runs scored, while third baseman Brian Sharp finished 2-4 with a double.
Hudson Valley takes on Brooklyn in game two of their series tomorrow night. First-pitch is slated for 7:05. Right-hander Michael Mercado (1-1, 5.20 ERA) will pitch for the Renegades against a to-be-determined pitcher for the Cyclones. Tickets can be purchased online at hvrenegades.com or by calling the ticket office at 845-838-0094.