For the 8th time this month, the Muckdogs (12-14) couldn’t muster enough and lost by just one run, this time by a score of 5-4 to Hudson Valley (14-11).
Batavia was down 2-0 after the Renegades scored a run in both the 1st and 4th innings. The Muckdogs looked to come back with three runs of their own after 6th and 7th innings.
The lone run in the 6th came on a high fly ball to left field that resulted in Ryde Rodriguez’s second homerun of the season. In the next inning, bases were loaded after a Ryan Jackson single, D’Marcus Ingram reached on an error and Luis De La Cruz laid down a bunt single. Rodriguez then came up with the big bat again as he doubled to score two.
But history seems to repeat itself, as the Muckdogs couldn’t hold on to their late lead. Hudson Valley battled back to score three runs of their own in the bottom of the 8th to take the lead back again, 5-3.
Batavia came close to a comeback. In the 9th, De La Cruz reached on a force out. Alan Ahmady followed with a single that allowed De La Cruz to move to third while Ahmady himself moved to second on the throw. In the next at-bat, Xavier Scruggs hit a base hit to plate De La Cruz and Ahmady was thrown out at home trying to be the tying run. And that would be the ball game as Rodriguez struck out swinging during the next at-bat to record the final out.
Tyler Lavigne and Josh Squatrito both pitched two innings with one run and three hits each. Lavigne struck out three while Squatrito walked one and struck out one. Deryk Hooker (1-2, 3.48) picked up the loss in his three and two-thirds innings, letting up three runs on two hits with one walk and one strikeout. Santo Maertz faced the last two batters, giving up two hits but getting out of the jam when Rodriguez threw out a runner at home to end the inning.
Rodriguez and Ahmady both finished 3-for-5, Rodriguez with two doubles, a homerun and three RBI. D’Marcus Ingram had his second mutli-hit day in a row, going 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored.
