by The Staten Island Yankees came from behind thanks to two homeruns by right fielder Kelvin De Leon to split the brief two-game series with the Hudson Valley Renegades and finish off the home stand with a record of 3-2 in five games.
The Staten Island Yankees started the scoring early on, jumping to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Eduardo Sosa lined to center to start the game and stole second before Casey Stevenson flew out to right to bring him to third. Sosa then came home to score on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Yankees outfielder Shane Brown.
In the bottom of the fourth the Baby Bombers added two more runs to their lead. After a ground out to start the inning Kyle Roller singled on a fly ball to right and was caught stealing second before Kevin Mahoney walked. Kelvn De Leon was next at the plate and he hit a shot to centerfield, just right of the batter’s eye for the first Staten Island Yankees homerun of the 2010 season.
Right-hander Zachary Varce started the game for the Yankees, making his first official start of the season after his last start was postponed in Hudson Valley. Varce pitched four innings allowing just two hits while striking out five batters.
The lead did not last as in the top of the sixth inning the Renegades put together a big inning knocking in six runs off of Yankees pitchers Bryant Cotton and Mike Recchia.
The Hudson Valley lead did not last very long as in the bottom of the sixth inning the Staten Island Yankees came right back thanks to a two-run homerun by Kelvin De Leon that went just above the edge of the video board in right-centerfield. Shane Brown started the inning with a single before Kyle Roller walked and Kevin Mahoney struck out. De Leon was the next batter and he promptly sent the ball just over the wall, hitting the top of the video board in right-centerfield.
In the bottom of the eighth inning Kyle Roller lined the ball off of the Hudson Valley first baseman’s glove into right field for a leadoff double. Kevin Mahoney then laid down a bunt single down the third baseline for men at the corners for Kelvin De Leon. De Leon then grounded the ball to the third baseman for an RBI ground out that moved Mahoney over to second. With the Yankees shortstop Jose Mojica at the plate a wild pitch that bounced in front of the plate would bring Mahoney just 90-feet away from the plate. Mojica hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home Mahoney and give the Staten Island Yankees an insurance run.
Yankees pitcher Chase Whitley earned the win for the Baby Bombers pitching two shutout innings.
Tomorrow the Staten Island Yankees start a four-game road trip with a three-game set in Aberdeen. Shane Greene, Mike Gipson and Michael O’Brien are scheduled to start those three games.
Notes: The Staten Island have sold out their first seven games so far this season and are presently leading the NY-Penn League in total attendance for the season while are behind only the Brooklyn Cyclones in average game attendance. With New York Yankees Pitching Coach Dave Eiland returning on Tuesday interim manager Jody Reed will be resuming his regular role as the Yankees roving infield instructor. Josh Paul will return as the Staten Island Yankees manager this coming weekend.
