Johnathon Thomas swings at a pitch. Thomas recorded three hits in the loss. - Thursday, May 8, 2025. Photo via Hannah Capolingua
The Wilmington Blue Rocks lost their fourth game in a row against the Hudson Valley Renegades by a final score of 5-2 in ten innings.
This marks the 17th loss the Blue Rocks have had against the Renegades in their last 18 games. The teams have been on reverse courses since the second half of last season, basically having inverse records.
Both of the Blue Rocks runs were scored base in similar ways, with both coming after costly mistakes from Hudson Valley.
In the first inning, the Blue Rocks got a baserunner in Marcus Brown after a Hudson Valley throwing error. Brown later stole third and a wild pitch allowed him to reach home.
The second run came in the following inning when both Johnathon Thomas and Matt Suggs reached base on singles. On Thomas’ single, the Renegade’s third baseman overthrew a ball that allowed Thomas and Suggs to reach second and third respectively. Another wild pitch from the Hudson Valley starter allowed Suggs to cross the plate and give the Rocks a 2-0 lead.
The Wilmington starter Bryan Caceres struggled in the second inning, and it resulted in a tie game. Parks Harber and Coby Morales both picked up an RBI in the inning.
The game was silent for both offenses before the game went to extra innings. The Hudson Valley offense explode for three runs against Thomas Schultz, which ultimately spelled the end for a Wilmington offense, who could not do much of anything throughout the game.
There were some bright spots for the Blue Rocks in these games. One of them being Thomas, who has struggled this season but maybe picking up some momentum with his three-hit game today.
“I was just trying to fight today,” Thomas said. “Previous games, nothing’s been falling, so luckily, some hits that were falling today.”
The Blue Rocks had their second bullpen game of the week, and they did all you could ask from a bullpen that got taxed two nights prior thanks to a pair of 12-1 losses earlier in the week.
No player contributed more to the team, and bullpen’s effort than Austin Amaral, who knew he was going to have an opportunity to perform for Wilmington in this game.
“You mentally prepare going in,” Amaral said, “If you’re hot today, you’re going to get loose, you kind of keep an eye on the game, see where it’s at. You judge it from there.”
Amaral was tested early when he came in, with runners on first and third no outs but was able to get the Renegade hitter to ground into a double play.
“I was going to attack the zone, make these guys get themselves out,” Amaral said. “I’m not gonna do anything crazy. I’m just gonna be the pitcher who I am, and I’m going to help the team out and get out of the jam.”
Throughout his 3.1 innings of work he was able to execute his fastball and slider really well. Although he struggled with his changeup, two well executed pitches is all any reliever really needs. With this being Amaral’s first appearance for Wilmington this season, he will look to continue to execute like this going forward.
“I love the fans here. It’s great to be back,” Amaral said. ”Great to put on the jersey again, so super excited about it.”
The bookends of the game, Caceres and Thomas Schultz, struggled to give up all the runs, while Amaral and Jared Simpson gave up zero.
With this loss, it is getting late early in the first half of the season for the Rocks, with them trailing by almost twelve games already.
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