The Wilmington Blue Rocks defeated the Hudson Valley Renegades by a final score of 4–3 in the final game of their series.

The early star of the game for Wilmington was center fielder Sam Petersen.

The Iowa native was called up on June 5 and has been one of the team’s best hitters during his short stint.

His big day began in the bottom of the second with a leadoff single. He eventually came around to score after multiple defensive errors.

The next run in the inning came when Teo Banks reached second on a bunt that was overthrown past the first baseman. A fielder’s choice later in the frame brought in another run, giving Wilmington a 3–0 lead.

The only other run scored by Wilmington also began with Petersen, who started a rally with a double and eventually came around to score again. Add in another double later in the game, and he finished the day with three hits.

“It was looking good. It was looking big,” Petersen said. “I’m still working with coaches here, and I’m pretty new to the field. We’ve been working on things, and it’s starting to click.”

The adjustment on and off the field has gone well for Petersen so far.

“The guys here have really welcomed me,” he said. “It’s been really good. Gavin Dugas is my roommate now, and he’s made everything so easy outside of baseball — helping me adjust to this whole place, this city. It’s been great in the dugout, too. The level of play is a step up. You’ve got to show up every day.”

It was another strong start for Travis Sthele, who has had an up-and-down season, but one in which his highs have been especially impressive.

In this game, he gave up two runs, largely due to a misplay by Branden Boissiere, who let a ball get under his glove. That mistake allowed two runs to score. Outside of that, Sthele once again had an efficient outing on the mound.

“He works quickly and competes hard,” Peterson said. “You know he’s going to give you his best effort, no matter what kind of stuff he has. And it helps when he’s got really good stuff on top of that.”

The only other time the game seemed in jeopardy was when reliever Anthony Arguelles allowed a few base runners. But he was able to work out of the jam, sticking to his approach.

“You know, I think the easy answer would be, yeah [changing approach with runners on base],” Arguelles said, “but no, I would say it shouldn’t. You’re always trying to execute each pitch in each count. I think a lot of the guys who’ve been here have done a good job of showing us new guys that the situation shouldn’t matter.”

Jared Simpson came in to get the save, despite giving up one run, he was able to secure the save and the win for Wilmington.

This win marked Wilmington’s third in a row. With the second half of the season still young, they are looking to turn around a slow start and have done so successfully so far. They are now just one game below .500.

“It’s really good. Hopefully, we can keep it going,” Petersen said. “Playing meaningful baseball late in the season is what it’s all about. Putting yourself in a position where the games matter late makes the season a lot more fun. You don’t want to get to the last month and have nothing to play for because you didn’t put yourself in a good spot. So this win streak helps. We’ve got some ground to make up, and hopefully we can keep it going.”

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