The Aberdeen IronBirds squandered a 3-0 lead Friday night, losing at Hudson Valley, 5-4, in a McNamara Division game of the New York-Penn League.
Aberdeen slips to 4-4 with the loss and will look to even the series tonight (Saturday) with a 6:05 p.m. game with the Renegades (4-4).
In Friday’s loss the ‘Birds grabbed the early lead with a run in the first and two in the second.
Hudson Valley, however, answered with two in the third and one in the fourth to even the score.
IronBirds starting pitcher Dallas Litscher tossed the first five innings and did not factor in the decision. Litscher allowed three hits, three walks and three earned runs. He struck out five.
Reliever Felix Bautista came on to take the loss with three innings of work. The Renegades got to Bautista for a run in the sixth and a bigger run in the eighth for the 5-3 lead.
Down 5-3 in the ninth, Aberdeen made things interesting. Jaylen Ferguson walked to lead off the inning and came around to score with two outs on Clay Fisher’s (2-4) infield single.
Fisher raced to third on the play on an errant throw by Renegades third baseman Carlos Vargas.
Irving Ortega (2-3) then walked, but Ian Evans bid to keep the ‘Birds alive edned with a line drive into the glove of center fielder K.V. Edwards.
Luke Ringhofer added two hits for Aberdeen, while Evans, Tristan Graham and Andrew Fregia had a hit apiece.