ValleyCats strand 10, benches clear in shutout loss
TROY, NY (NEWS10) -- The Tri-City ValleyCats (14-14) began a three-game set with the Lake Erie Crushers (14-14), and were shutout 1-0 on Tuesday at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium. It was the first time the ValleyCats were shutout this season.
Lake Erie got on the board in the fourth. Mike Blanke hit a single off Elijah Gill. He advanced to second after Jiandido Tromp went to first on a walk. Kemuel Thomas-Rivero reached on an error from Pavin Parks, and Blanke scored to give the Crushers a 1-0 lead.
The ValleyCats had a couple of opportunities to strike. They were gifted two walks, and a hit by pitch from Yasel Santana in the fifth, but were unable to plate a run with the bases loaded with two outs. Carson McCusker seemingly hit a ground-rule double to begin the sixth, but was originally ruled foul, the play was overturned to a double, and then changed back to a foul ball. Tri-City also walked twice against Darrien Ragins in the sixth, but he worked his way out of the inning. Similar to the fourth, the ‘Cats walked twice and had the bases loaded after a hit by pitch from Trevor Kuncl in the seventh, but could not plate a run.
Santana (2-1) tossed five shutout frames, yielding two hits, three walks, and a hit by pitch, while striking out two.
Gill (2-2) earned the loss. He hurled his third consecutive quality start, firing six innings, giving up an unearned run on four hits, walking three, and striking out six on 100 pitches.
Sam Curtis notched his fourth save with a 1-2-3 ninth, and struck out two.
Tri-City continues its homestand against Lake Erie tomorrow, Wednesday, June 14. First pitch is scheduled for 10 AM.