Big Time Power Leads Tri-City To Double Header Sweep

TROY, NY - The Ottawa Titans and Tri-City ValleyCats faced off in a double header that featured the completion of the rain-shortened game from Wednesday evening at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.

Following the 24 hour layover, Austin Faith would take the hill for the 'Cats. Reliever Gavin Sonnier took the ball for Ottawa.

With game one resuming with one out in the top half of the fourth inning, Faith would retire the first two batters he faced, inducing fly outs off the bat of Rodrigo Orozco and Kai Moody.

The Tri-City offense would get going in their first turn at bat of the twin bill. Brantley Bell would extend his hitting streak to 27 games with a single to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning. Following a line out off the bat of Pavin Parks, Denis Phipps would club an opposite field, two-run blast to bring Tri-City within one run. Two pitches later, Brad Zunica would tie the game up with a solo home run to deep right field, knotting things up at three.

Faith would not allow a single hit through the entirety of his outing. In 3.2 innings of work, Faith struck out one and didn't walk a single Titans batsman. Allowing two total base runners, a hit by a pitch to AJ Wright, and a Tyrus Greene fielder's choice in the fifth inning.

Tri-City would add two more runs in the contest, a sacrifice fly from Denis Phipps in the home half of the fifth inning, plating Cito Culver. The sacrifice fly from Phipps was his third RBI of the game. An RBI single from catcher Austin Elder in the sixth inning gave Tri-City the 6-3 lead they would never surrender.

FINAL | (44-34) TRI-CITY 6 (46-33) OTTAWA 3

W: AUSTIN FAITH (1-2)

L: GAVIN SONNIER (4-1)

SV: NONE

GAME TWO

TROY, NY - In front of a sold out crowd at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, the nightcap of the double header between the Ottawa Titans and Tri-City ValleyCats featured a battle of the southpaw starting pitchers as lefties Ryan Williamson and Chris Burica would take the mound for Tri-City and Ottawa.

It would be Ottawa's offense that would pounce out to a hot start early on. After Ryan Williamson retired Jackie Urbaez and Rodrigo Orozco to start the game, AJ Wright and Clay Fisher would single, putting two runners on base for Jason Dicochea. The first baseman would rip a double deep into the center field gap, plating both runners aboard and giving Ottawa an early two-run cushion.

The ValleyCats offense did not let the Ottawa lead last long. Cito Culver would lead off the home half of the inning with a single. Brantley Bell's RBI triple brought Culver home, and advanced the second baseman's hitting streak to 28 straight games. An RBI single from Pavin Parks off Burica would tie the game with nobody out in the inning.

Following a Denis Phipps fly out to deep left field, Brad Zunica would launch his second home run of the game, plating Parks and doubling the lead for Tri-City. Carson McCusker would go back to back with Zunica just a few pitches later, obliterating a Burica curveball. Jace Mercer would then reach base with a double down the left field line. Left fielder Joey Campagna would single home Mercer, plating the sixth run of the inning. The 'Cats would ultimately send 11 hitters to the plate in the six-run first inning.

Ryan Williamson would bounce back after a rocky first inning with solid second and third frames, only allowing two base runners, a Jacob Talamante walk in the second inning. The center fielder was retired at second base, when Austin Elder struck down Talamante at second base when he attempted to steal. In the third, Williamson would walk Urbaez to lead off the inning, but would retire the next three batters he faced.

Following a quiet second inning, Tri-City would launch back to back home runs in the third inning on a pair of solo home runs off the bats of Jace Mercer and Joey Campagna, extending the Tri-City lead to 8-2.

Ottawa would not go quietly. In the top of the fourth inning, Brendon Dadson would homer off of Williamson, a solo shot with one out in the inning. A double from Kai Moody following the Dadson home run, and a walk to Jacon Talamante would put two runners on base. Following a strike out of pinch hitter Jake Sanford, Jackie Urbaez would clear the bases with a two-run triple that Jace Mercer lost in the lights of Joseph L Bruno stadium. Rodrgio Orozco would then single home Urbaez, the fourth run of the inning. Adam Hofacket would retire AJ Wright to put a cap on the Titans rally. Tri-City now led 8-6.

The 'Cats offense would add a run back to their lead in the home half of the fourth inning on an unearned run when Jason Dicochea, who moved to the catching position at the start of the inning fired a throw into center field, allowing Brad Zunica to score from second on the error.

In the top half of the sixth inning, Ottawa's offense would come to life once again. A lead off single from Tyrus Greene would get the Titans started. Then with two away in the inning, reliever Adam Hofacket would hit Urbaez with a pitch and surrender a single to Rodrigo Orozco the next at-bat, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate. AJ Wright would send a Trey Cochran-Gill fastball down the left field line, plating both Urbaez and Greene, however the third run would be gunned down on a relay throw from Cito Culver to Austin Elder on a close play at home plate, keeping the lead in tact for Tri-City, 9-8.

In the home half of the sixth, Carson McCusker would hit his second home run of the game, a solo shot into deep left center field.

Trey Cochran-Gill would record the final three outs in order, securing the double header sweep for the ValleyCats.

FINAL | (45-34) TRI-CITY 10 (46-34) OTTAWA 8

W: ADAM HOFACKET (9-4)

L: CHRIS BURICA (7-5)

SV: TREY COCHRAN-GILL (13)

ATTENDANCE: 4,948

The ValleyCats return home for their final homestand of the 2022 regular season on Tuesday, August 30th as they host the Sussex County Miners. Tuesday night is also Bark In the Park night at The Joe! First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 PM. Get your tickets today by calling 518-629-CATS, visiting the team’s box office, or logging on to tcvalleycats.com