Titans Stun ValleyCats, Take Huge Rubber Game

OFFICIAL FRONTIER LEAGUE BOX SCORE

Troy, NY - After giving up the late lead and then eventually seeing themselves down to their final strike, the Ottawa Titans (51-38) stormed back to stun the Tri-City ValleyCats (49-39) by a 3-2 final in extras on Sunday night, taking the rubber game and moving closer to a playoff berth.

CJ Blowers (ND, 0-1) and Alfredo Ruiz (ND, 4-3) battled toe-toe-toe, throwing up zero after zero. At one point, the respective lefties retired 11 in a row.

With two down in the second, Jake Hjelle poked an RBI single to right, scoring Brendan O'Donnell to make it 1-0.

In yet another close affair, the Titans did the lone run scoring over the first seven and a third - hanging on to the advantage.

Overall, Ruiz pitched eight innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits, walking three, and striking out four.

It took until the bottom of the eighth for the ValleyCats to solve Blowers, as Jaxon Hallmark cashed in back-to-back leadoff singles, and the home side jumped in front 2-1.

Blowers left after seven-plus innings, allowing two runs, on ten hits, not walking a batter, and striking out one. Through the first 25.1 frames of the pro career of Blowers, the lefty has allowed just three earned runs.

In the series, the Titans' pitching staff allowed just four earned runs.

Matt Dallas inherited two on before skipper Bobby Brown was ejected arguing a close call on a double steal. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Dallas got a ground ball to force out a run at home before rolling an inning-ending double play to keep the deficit at one.

In the ninth - Austin Dill (loss, 3-1) got the first two in order - before walking pinch hitter Jamey Smart to put the tying run on. The Titans began the two-out rally as Jackie Urbaez, who pinch-ran for Smart, stole second before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Following a walk to Brendan O'Donnell, Peyton Isaacson came off the bench to drive in the tying run, and Urbaez jogged into score to make it 2-2.

Back out for the tenth, Dill saw the start-up runner sacrificed to third - when AJ Wright knocked in the eventual winning run by legging out an infield single to put the Titans ahead 3-2.

In the bottom of the tenth, McLain Harris (save, 2) needed just five pitches to throw up a zero to give the Titans a massive series win.

The Titans go 8-4 against the ValleyCats during the regular season - winning their first serie inside Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in franchise history.

With some help as well on the out-of-town scoreboard, the magic number for the Titans to qualify for the 2024 Frontier League Playoffs is down to two. A win on Tuesday, the Titans are in.

After an off day on Monday, the Ottawa Titans head home to begin the final homestand of the regular season, opening a three-game set with the New York Boulders on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. from Ottawa Stadium. All the action can be heard on CKDJ 107.9 and 94,5 Unique FM and live-streamed on Flo Baseball.

For information on tickets, group outings, and the "All-In" Playoff Package, visit the Titans’ official website at www.ottawatitans.com.