Hudson Valley Renegades Win 2017 NYPL Championship

From the desk of:  THE FISHKILL NINE

DUTCHESS STADIUM

home of the 

Hudson Valley Renegades

2017

NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE 

CHAMPIONS

1999    2012

Hudson Valley Renegades: Fishkill Club Wins Third New York-Penn League Championship.

I saw my first ever New York-Penn League game back in 1994 at Dutchess Stadium when the Hudson Valley Renegades were still an affiliate of the Texas Rangers.  So as a Brooklyn Cyclones fan, I would like to congratulate the Fishkill Nine for eliminating the Staten Island Yankees - because after all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.  Then of course, congratulations for winning a third NYPL championship.

With a 46-29 regular season record, it was actually the Staten Island Yankees who posted the league's best record with a 46-29 mark.  Hudson Valley was a close second with a 44-32 league record, but finished 2.5 games behind in the race for the McNamara Division flag behind the Yankees.

Being the Wild Card seemed to suit the Renegades just fine, though.  After taking Game One of the McNamara Division playoff by a 5-2 margin, the series shifted to Staten Island.  There, the Yankees won Game Two by a 4-1 score.  But Hudson Valley roared back in Game Three with a decisive 7-1 series clinching victory.

In the other semi-final series pitting the Stedler Division versus Pinckney Division champs, the Vermont Lake Monsters made quick work of the latter division's Mahoning Valley Scrappers, completing a two game sweep.

The New York-Penn League championship series commenced on Wednesday, Sept. 13, at Dutchess Stadium, where the Renegades gained a 3-2, 13-inning opening game victory over the Monsters.

Burlington, Vermont, hosted Game Two on Thursday, where Hudson Valley completed a sweep of the Lake Monsters.  A home run by Renegades shortstop Taylor Wall capped off a five-run, second inning outburst, from which Hudson Valley never looked back en route to a convincing 6-0 victory.

Renegades starter Drew Strotman tossed six innings of one-hit ball, issuing one walk and fanning five for the victory.  Reliever Andrew Gist allowed no hits, walked two, and fanned three over the final three innings for the save.