Monday, July 30—For the third game in a row Williamsport took an early lead. Also for the third game in a row the Renegades responded with a big inning and went on to win, this time 7-4, sweeping the series from the Pennsylvania visitors.
Hudson Valley put the game out of reach in the first inning, batting around and scoring five runs. Catcher Geoff Rowan, playing his first full game behind the plate at The Dutch, drove in three runs with a double and a single in his first two at-bats. Joey Rickard (two doubles), Luke Maile and Joel Caminero also had two hits each. Please click here to read the game story on the Gades’ Web site.
Jack Giese, the Renegades’ pitching coach last season, was back at the stadium for a second night, and he, Big Steve and I had a nice chat in Section 107 before the game. Jack now coaches at the University of Oklahoma. I was pleased that he remembered me by name.
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro was also on hand. Tonight’s giveaway was supposed to be a bobblehead of him but instead we received vouchers. He quipped that the heads weren’t big enough and had to be enlarged; an alternative explanation I heard was that there was a delay at customs.
In the parking lot afterward we met Geoff Rowan, welcomed him to Hudson Valley and congratulated him on a fine game. Geoff’s uncle and two family friends from Highland Falls (next to West Point) had come to see him play tonight. Bob, Paul, Hal, Grant and I had a real nice time socializing with them and particularly appreciated their talent for rhyming quips. We told them to be sure to look for us whenever they were at the stadium.
Over by the corral fence we caught up with Luke Maile, Paige, her parents Jackie and Charlie and a couple of friends and had a nice chat with them before Paige and her contingent headed back to upstate Amsterdam.
We also had a nice chat with umpires Clayton Hamm and Blake Carnahan, who were wrapping up six games at The Dutch. Having just eaten in the clubhouse, they declined our proffered refreshments but thanked us for the offer.
Refreshments included bunless hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken, assorted chips and a large container of party mix. I signed a second ticket stub for Patty for the scavenger hunt since she had misplaced the first one; that brought my total signatures to three.
We enjoyed watching two foxes scamper about the parking lot beneath the light of a nearly full moon. Less enjoyable was the sight of a skunk near Bob’s car while we were watching the foxes. Bob gently lobbed a stone in the skunk’s general direction, which had the desired effect of encouraging it to move on toward the now-dark stadium, after which we promptly left before it returned.
Next home game: Tuesday, August 7 vs. Vermont Lake Monsters, first pitch 7:05 p.m.
