Thursday’s News & Notes — Playoff Edition

Lynchburg 5 Potomac 2
• Baez (L, 0-1) 5IP, 7H, 5R, 5ER, 2BB, 1K, 0HR, WP
• Howard 3IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Banks 3-4, R, 2-2B, RBI
• Garcia 2-4, 2-2B

Joan Baez had just one bad inning. But, as usual, it was bad enough to put Potomac too far behind to catch up as they lost Game One, 5-2. Baez gave up all five runs in the 2nd inning on five hits to put the P-Nats in a 5-0 hole. He would throw three more scoreless innings and allow two more hits and one more walk. Hayden Howard kept the Hillcats at bay the rest of the way, but the P-Nats could only get single runs in the 3rd and 9th innings, as they hit into three double plays to negate the 11 hits they racked up. Nick Banks and Luis Garcia both doubled twice and combined for five hits total to lead the offense. Roster moves: C Jakson Reetz activated from 7-Day DL; C Matt Reistetter reassigned to Hagerstown.

Hudson Valley 11 Auburn 5
• Reyes (L, 0-1) 4⅓ IP, 10H, 7R, 7ER, BB, 2K
• Hernandez 1IP, 3H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB, 1K, 2WP, 1-1 IR-S
• Rhinesmith 2-3, 2R, 2B, BB, RBI
• O’Connor 2-5, R, 2B, RBI
• Mendez 2-4

On paper, the Doubledays seemed to have it made against the Renegades with a AA pitcher throwing a rehab^* start. But Hudson Valley retrieved their bounty from Luis Reyes with seven runs on 10 hits and a walk over four and 1/3 innings to take Game One, 11-5 and return home with two chances to win the second game they’ll need to advance to the NYPL Finals. Auburn got an early 1-0 lead when Jacob Rhinesmith went yard with two outs in the 1st. By the time the Doubledays could answer, it was 7-1. The offense racked up 12 hits, with Rhinesmith, Pablo O’Connor, Kyle Marinconz, and Ricardo Mendex each collecting two, but the ‘Days ‘pen couldn’t stop the bleeding and gave up four more before finally shutting the Renegades down over the last three innings.
^{* Not cool guys – especially in short-season ball.}