ValleyCats Walk-Off on Renegades

After catcher Jamie Ritchie tied the game at 2-2 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, pinch-hitter Alex Hernandez won it for the ValleyCats with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the tenth on Tuesday night at Joe Bruno Stadium.

The 3-2 win for the 'Cats against the Hudson Valley Renegades puts Tri-City at 39-19 overall, tied with the Renegades for the best overall record in the New York-Penn League.

Ritchie's game-tying homer to left field woke up a ValleyCat offense that had been held in check all night. The group had just six hits, and three of those came in the ninth and tenth innings.

Tri-City got out to an early 1-0 lead when they scored in the bottom of the first on a home run by outfielder Jason Martin, but HV raced back to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the third.

Reliever Luis Ordosgoitti kept Tri-City in the game, pitching 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out six.

The game-winning rally in the tenth was started when shortstop Mott Hyde drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a double by Ariel Ovando, who had failed in two attempts to get a sacrifice bunt down.

After Juan Santana was walked intentionally to load the bases with nobody out, Hernandez got a 1-1 slider from Justin McCalvin and lined it to right field for the winner.

The two teams are scheduled to play again this evening at 7 p.m.

Watch the winner here: