ValleyCats walk-off puts them in 1st place

TROY, N.Y. » Cesar Salazar delivered a two-run base hit in the ninth inning on Saturday night to give the ValleyCats their first walk- off win of the season, 5- 4 over Aberdeen at Joe Bruno Stadium.

The ValleyCats’ season-high-tying third straight win vaults them over the Vermont Lake Monsters for first place in the Stedler Division.

The night started with a brilliant pitching performance from the ValleyCats’ starter Luis Garcia, who collected a career-high 10 strikeouts, including seven in a row at one point.

Garcia was lifted after five innings, where he only allwed two baserunners. By that point, the ValleyCats had taken a 2- 0 lead entering the sixth inning.

Alex Holderbach and Gilberto Celestino each used RBI singles in the fourth inning to get the ValleyCats on the scoreboard.

Holderbach ended the night with a career-high three hits for Tri- City.

Trey Dawson added a one-run single in the sixth inning for the ValleyCats to give them a 3-0 lead.

RJ Freure came out of the bull-

pen for Tri- City to make his Minor League debut in relief of Garcia.

Freure went two innings, giving up just a solo home run to Cody Roberts in the seventh inning to make the score 3-1 Tri- City entering the eighth.

Aberdeen then scored three eighth inning runs off of ‘ Cats lefty Carlos Hiraldo to steal the lead entering the ninth inning.

Gilberto Celestino and Jeremy Pena each led off the inning with singles, before Alex McKenna was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Salazar then lined his first hit of the night into right field.

Celestino scored the ty-

ing run, with Pena coming home behind him on an error by Aberdeen right fielder Doran Turchin that resulted in the game-winning run.

Entering the day, TriCity had been 0-6 in games that they trailed entering the ninth inning.

Riley Cabral pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the first win of his Minor League career.