CONTACT: Jeff Foley (518) 629-8085 or (518) 210-4161
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Saturday, April 6, 2002
http://www.hvcc.edu
April 6, Troy, N.Y. - Hudson Valley Community College's nationally ranked baseball team christened the state-of-the-art Joseph L. Bruno Stadium this afternoon, hosting Holyoke Community College for a chilly and windy doubleheader. The two seven-inning games between Hudson Valley and Holyoke, viewed by more than 100 fans, were the first-ever held at the $14 million Bruno Stadium, which also will serve as home of the Tri-City ValleyCats, a Houston Astros-affiliated Class A baseball team from the New York-Penn League.
The ValleyCats will play their first game at Bruno Stadium on June 21.
Hudson Valley, ranked No. 8 in the nation among Division III junior colleges, lost the first game this afternoon, 12-5. Then, despite a late rally, the Vikings dropped the second game, 6-4.
Today was filled with firsts at Bruno Stadium:
- As Hudson Valley's starting pitcher, Michael Harbor (Shaker H.S.) threw the first pitch at the stadium and recorded the first strikeout, retiring a Holyoke batter in the top of the first inning.
- Hudson Valley's Matt Nobles (Bishop Maginn) notched the first defensive out, cleanly fielding a fly ball off first base in the first.
- Larry Hotchkins of Holyoke had the first hit, a single in the first, and teammate Josh Goslin scored the first run, also in the top of the first.
- Justin Meagher (Colonie H.S.) led off the bottom of the first for the Vikings and picked up the first Hudson Valley hit, a full-count single.
- Silvestre Castro (Norman Thomas) scored Hudson Valley's first run, in the second inning, advancing home on an errant throw from the catcher to Holyoke's pitcher.
- Holyoke picked up the first extra-base hit, a double by Jim Stewart in the third.
- Hudson Valley's Jason McKinney (South Glens Falls H.S.) had the Vikings' first extra-base hit, a double in the seventh.
In the first game, Nobles had a pair of singles and he scored two runs, while Shawn Miller (Troy H.S.) knocked in two runs to lead the Vikings offensively. McKinney came off the bench to pinch hit in the seventh inning and contributed an RBI double, scoring Austin Walker (Stillwater H.S.).
In game two, the Vikings started the seventh inning behind 6-1 and staged a furious comeback that fell just short. Greg Henry (Troy H.S.) started the rally with a leadoff double, and Jeremy Gatto (Columbia H.S.) followed with an RBI double. Chris Cooper (Shenendehowa H.S.) and Castro also contributed an RBI each in the final frame.
Hudson Valley's Alex Tate (George Washington H.S.) scattered five hits in five innings of work. The lefthander struck out four batters.
Hudson Valley is now 9-9-1 overall and 3-0 in NJCAA Division III Region III competition. Holyoke is 3-8 overall.
Holyoke 12, Hudson Valley 5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 runs hits errors
HCC 1 3 2 2 0 2 2 12 11 2
HV 0 1 0 1 0 2 1 5 7 2
Hotchkins and Tate; Harbor, Valente (2), McKinney (5) and Regalado
Holyoke 6, Hudson Valley 4
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 runs hits errors
HCC 2 2 0 0 0 1 1 6 7 1
HV 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 11 3
Stewart and Shea; Tate, Daws (6) and Henry