TROY – A crowd of 4,022 fans saw the Tri-City ValleyCats end their 2022 Frontier League season on a high note.
Down 4-0 after the top of the third inning, the ValleyCats rallied for a 10-5 win over the Empire State Greys to finish the season with a 54-41 record. Tri-City finished tied for fourth in the East Division, missing out on the playoffs despite their good record.
Mitch Piatnik hit a two-run homer in the third to start the ValleyCats’ rally.
In the fourth, Carson McCusker had an RBI double.
The big blow came in the fifth, when Pavin Parks hit relief pitcher Locke Bernhardt’s first pitch over the wall for a three-run home run to right field. The ValleyCats scored three more that inning, when 13 players came to bat.
Ryan Williamson got the win to finish with a 5-4 record.
The ValleyCats had a solid year under second-year skipper Pete Incaviglia. Headed for a playoff spot with a couple of weeks left, however, they suffered a five-game losing streak – while divisional foes got hot – that kept them out of the playoffs.
Brantley Bell earned Frontier League MVP honors, while Denis Phipps was named DH of the Year.
Empire State 031 000 010 – 5 8 0
Tri-City 002 170 00x – 10 6 2
