Spinners split two with Hudson Valley

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A Wednesday night rainout forced a late afternoon doubleheader in Lowell on Thursday night. When the long day and night of baseball was over, both the Lowell Spinners and Hudson Valley Renegades went home happy as each team claimed a victory. The Renegades won game one 6-4 and the Spinners took the nightcap 2-1.

Game one marked the debut of Jake Thompson for Lowell and the RHP was the Red Sox fourth round pick in this June’s draft. He had not pitched in a game since late June in Omaha for his college team the Oregon State Beavers.

He would throw one inning in game one, throwing 20 pitches and facing six batters. He gave up three hits and two runs in his debut for the Spinners and added two strikeouts and did not issue a walk. He did uncork a wild pitch that led to one of the runs being scored, but overall, it sure felt good for Thompson to be back out on the mound, even though he took the game one loss.

Dakota Smith took over for Thompson trailing 2-0 and gave up two more runs to Hudson Valley. The scoring took place in the third inning with
leadoff man Vidal Brujan starting the uprising with a triple to center. It was followed by a fielder’s choice by Carl Chester. A well timed double steal scored Brujan, then a RBI ground out by DH Brendan McKay had Hudson Valley in the lead at 4-0.

The Renegades starter was Drew Strotman (2-2) who went the first five of this seven inning affair and was good. The only run he allowed came in the third. After two were retired, Yomar Valentin doubled to right field off the glove of the Hudson Valley first baseman Matt Eureste. Michael Osinski reached on a strike out passed ball to put runners at the corners. Frankie Rios then came through with a base hit to score Valentin to get Lowell on the board at 4-1 after three.

Hudson Valley added two more in the fifth off Smith with a walk to Brujan who was on base five times in the doubleheader. He moved to third on a single by Chester, on base himself three times in game one. Brujan scored on a wild pitch by Smith, Chester scored on sac fly by McKay, two RBI in game one, and the Renegades had a 6-1 advantaged.

The Spinners made it interesting late as they would plate three runs in the sixth. Lowell would load the bases and get a sac fly from Yoan Aybar then catcher Samuel Miranda came through with a single to center driving home two and Lowell was down 6-4.

Hudson Valley called on their closer to finish the game in the seventh and he did just that. Hunter Schryver would retire the Spinners in order and the game was a 6-4 win for the visitors. For Scheyver, it was his fourth save of the season.

Game two was a bit of a pitcher duel. Nick Duron of Lowell and Resly Linares both made it into the fifth. The Hudson Valley runs off of Duron came in the fourth as Brujan singled to lead things off. He would be wild pitched to second then advanced on a passed ball to third. He crossed the plate on a base hit to right off the bat of Taylor Walls 1-0 Renegades.

The Spinners got that run back in sixth against relief pitcher Zack Mozingo. A base on balls to Rios followed by a wild pitch. With two down and a man on second, up stepped Raiwinson Lameda who tied the game with an infield hit to deep short. 1-1 after six.

The Spinners walked off with the “W” in the bottom of the seventh. Alex Martinez tripled off Hudson Valley’s third pitcher of game two Garrett Fulenchek. An infield single by Osinski put runners at the corners with one out. Up stepped Rios who delivered the game winning sac fly to score Martinez and gain Lowell a split of the two games.

Devon Fisher was your game two winner for Lowell, Dulenchek took the loss.

The teams are back at it on Friday night first pitch at 6:35 pm.