Renegades six-game win streak snapped in 14-8 defeat

Wappingers Falls, N.Y. (May 18, 2024) — In a game with 22 combined runs, the Jersey Shore BlueClaws used a five-run eighth inning to complete a comeback and win 14-8 over the Hudson Valley Renegades.

In the first, Roc Riggio led off with a walk and scored on a Jace Avina double. After a Jesus Rodriguez single put runners on the corners, a two-run double by Rafael Flores made it 3-0 Renegades. Flores finished 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs. He now has ten RBIs and six doubles in his last seven games.

Leandro Pineda homered to lead off the second inning against Kyle Carr. After a walk to Zach Arnold, an RBI triple by William Bergolla got the BlueClaws closer. Bergolla came home on a balk later in the inning to make it 3-3.

Jared Serna led off the third inning with a solo home run of his own, his seventh of the year and second of the series. Omar Martinez then singled, and reached second on a passed ball. Josh Moylan singled home Martinez later in the frame, putting Hudson Valley ahead 5-3.

In the top of the fourth, Arnold reached on a fielder’s choice, and got to third after an infield single by Bergolla and a throwing error by Serna. A wild pitch by Carr allowed Arnold to come in to score and cut the deficit to 5-4.

Kyle Battle led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk. After Battle stole second, Avina launched a two-run homer to extend the lead to 7-4, his fourth long ball of the year. Avina was 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, a walk, three RBIs, and two runs scored.

In the fifth, Erick Brito singled, and Bryan Rincon drove him in with a double. Rincon advanced to third on a throwing error, and a Cade Fergus RBI groundout later in the frame scored Rincon.

Martinez doubled in the bottom of the fifth, and advanced to third on a Flores single. A fielder’s choice hit into by Moylan allowed Martinez to score, putting Hudson Valley ahead 8-6. The Renegades have scored six-or-more runs in all five games of this series, and eight-or-more runs in four of the five matchups.

In the seventh for Jersey Shore, Pineda led off with a walk against Luis Arejula. Fergus then walked, and a single by Hendry Mendez knocked in Pineda. A double play later in the inning scored Fergus from third to tie the score at 8-8.

The BlueClaws took the lead in the eighth with a five-run frame. Jordan Dissin doubled to begin the inning, and came around to score on two balks by Arejula. Otto Kemp tripled later in the frame, and scored on a wild pitch. Pineda walked, and scored on a triple by Fergus. A walk issued to Mendez and an Arnold hit by pitch loaded up the bases. Bergolla then lined a single into left, scoring Fergus and Mendez to put the BlueClaws ahead 13-8.

Otto Kemp tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the ninth against Hueston Morrill to make it 14-8. Jersey Shore got the final six outs to secure their first victory of the series.

The BlueClaws and Renegades close out their six-game set on Sunday at 2:05 p.m., with the Heritage Financial Credit Union Pregame Show beginning at 1:45 on the Renegades Baseball Network. Ben Shields (1-1, 3.22) will start for the Renegades, while the BlueClaws will throw Starlyn Castillo (2-2, 2.53).