Valleycats get back to .500 with doubleheader sweep

TROY, NY » The Valleycats can finally say something that they haven’t been able to say since May 31, that they have a .500 overall record.

“What’s important is every game, every day,” said Valleycats manager Pete Incaviglia. “I keep telling everybody that we control out own destiny and we’ve been playing really good baseball.”

They picked up two wins on Wednesday evening against the New York Boulders, by scores of 8-7 and 6-5, in a day that included a record-breaking save and a walk-off.

Now in sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division, the ‘Cats are 27-27 overall this season and they finish their four game series with New York on Thursday morning at 11 a.m.

Tri-City put two runs on the board in the bottom of the second inning and then three more in the

fourth, on a three-run home run by Oscar Campos.

New York scored four in the top of the sixth, as Valleycats starter, Turner Larkins got into some trouble. Larkins would go five-plus innings and be tagged for four runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out three. He would receive the win.

Trey Cochran-Gill would enter in the sixth with two runners on, two runs in and no outs. Both of the inherited runners would score before Cochran-Gill could end the inning, making the score 5-4.

The Valleycats would respond with three more runs in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run double from Zach Biermann and a RBI single from Chris Kwitzer.

While that made the lead 8-4, it was still a save situation for Cochran-Gill, as he entered when it was a tworun ballgame.

In the top of the seventh, the final inning during double-headers, the Valleycats closer gave up a threerun home run to Kevonte Mitchell, making it a onerun game again, but he’d strike out the next two New York hitters to end the game and earn his 15th save of the season. With that save, Cochran-Gill now holds a new franchise record for saves in a single season, as well as all-time.

Over Cochran-Gill’s two innings, he was charged with three runs, giving up two hits and a walk, striking out three. His ERA still remains under two, at 1.96 this season.

The bottom of the Valleycats lineup came up with six hits in the first game, as Biermann — the eight hitter — went 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBIs, a double and a triple. Kwitzer, the nine hitter, went 3-for-3 with a run and two RBIs.

In the second game, TriCity came out to a 4-0 lead, scoring one in the first and three in the third, but it wasn’t going to be that easy. New York responded with a four-run fourth, tying the game.

After Austin Cline was removed after one inning with fatigue, Patrick Murphy was solid over the next 2.2 innings. After retiring the first seven hitters he faced, two walks led Incaviglia to go to the bullpen with two on and two outs. Ryan McKay would then allow four straight runners to reach base and the Boulders to tie the game.

“I’d like to think could get an out in that inning, but sometimes things don’t work out that way,” Incaviglia said. “It was a gutsy performance by Murphy and a really gutty performance by Frankie. He really stepped up for us today when we needed him.”

Denis Phipps put the Valleycats back up, 5-4, in the bottom half with a RBI single.

Francisco Jimenez, who relieved McKay in the fourth, would go the final 3.1 innings for the Valleycats, allowing just one run. In the top of the seventh, New York tied the game, meaning that if the ‘Cats were going to get back to .500, they’d be doing it on a walk-off.

“We trust Jimenez, he worked really hard today and threw a lot of pitches,” said Valleycats third baseman, Juan Silverio. “I just wanted to get that run in and that’s what I was focused on, when I got my chance.”

With one out, Willy Garcia would walk and advance to second on a wild pitch. He’d then advance to third with Silverio at the plate and then come in to score on a base hit to right field.

“I was so excited, I was waiting for that,” said Campos, who caught both games of the double-header. “Honestly, I didn’t want to go back in. We had a lot of talented guys coming up, we got the walk and Silverio is a really nice hitter and he got a pitch to hit.”

Campos continued, about catching 14 innings on Wednesday evening.

“I wasn’t sure. I was hearing Danny, the other catcher, but I was waiting to find out. In my mind, I was thinking I would play left field. Twenty minutes before the game, the pitching coach came to me and said I was catching the second game and I said ‘okay, I’m ready’. I’m here to work.”

“I feel really good because I gave my 100 percent to the team and we got the wins.”

Towards the end of the game, a Valleycats fan was attempting to get in the head of New York pitcher, James Mulry, who wears number 31. The fan would yell, “hey, number 31, what’s your favorite flavor ice cream?”

Amused, Silverio, who wears 31 for the Valleycats, responded to the fan with his favorite flavor ice cream.

“Even though we didn’t get off to the best start, we owe the fans a lot. They’ve always been behind us, they’ve always shown us love and we appreciate all their support,” Silverio said. “I don’t eat ice cream a lot, but if I did, it would be vanilla.”