Baseball: Monsters Fall to Hudson Valley 4-1

Courtesy Vermont Lake Monsters

BURLINGTON — Jacson McGowan went 2-for-4 with one run, a double and an RBI single, while Garrett Hoitt went 4-for-5 to lead the Hudson Valley Renegades to a 4-1 New York-Penn League victory over the Vermont Lake Monsters Sunday evening at historic Centennial Field.

Vermont took a 1-0 lead in bottom of first on Kyle McCann RBI groundout, but Hudson Valley tied score in third on an RBI groundout of their own from Greg Jones. The Renegades took a 2-1 lead in fourth as McGowan led off the inning with a double and scored on Nick Sogard one-out RBI single.

The Renegades built the lead to 4-1 with two more runs in the fifth on an RBI fielder’s choice grounder and McGowan RBI infield single. Vemont had a chance to cut into the lead in the sixth on a Kyle McCann line drive single to center, buts Hoitt threw out Michael Woodworth at the plate trying to score from second.

Jack Cushing (0-2) was charged with four runs on seven hits over four-plus innings to take the loss for Vermont (9-14), while Richard Morban allowed two hits with a walk and five strikeouts over five innings of relief.

Woodworth was 3-for-4 with a run scored for Vermont, while McCann added two of the Lake Monsters seven hits in the contest. Vermont (9-14), which busted out of an offensive slump with 14 runs and 17 hits at Connecticut Saturday, has now scored just one run over its last 31 innings played at Centennial Field.

Three Renegade pitchers each tossed innings with reliever Nathan Wiles (2-0) picking up the win with two hits allowed over the middle frames, while Joe LaSorsa two hits and six strikeouts over the final three innings to earn his first save with Hudson Valley (11-11).

The series will continue 7:05 pm on Monday before the annual 11:05 am day game on Tuesday. The first 1,000 fans to the game on Monday will receive a free Lake Monsters fleece blanket.