Kelly strikes out 10 to lead Somers past Hen Hud

SOMERS, N.Y. - On Tuesday, April 21, Danny Hernandez of Hen Hud and Gavin Kelly locked in for a high-level pitcher’s duel. In the end, the margin of victory went to the starter who brought just a bit more firepower.

Kelly struck out 10, including the side in the seventh inning, to lead Somers to a 2-1 victory.

Kelly set the tone early, opening the game with a strikeout of Jack Hiltsley looking. Mark Perez followed with a single to the gap, but Trey Mancini erased the threat by throwing out the runner, and Benji Lynch went down swinging to end the inning.

Hernandez answered in kind, striking out the side in the bottom half as the game quickly moved to the second.

In the inning, Kelly showcased his curveball. Lynch went down looking on a sharp breaking pitch, and the next two batters failed to make contact as Somers came to the plate.

Somers generated offense without the long ball. Lorenzo D’Ambrosio singled through the left side, and Ryan McAuley followed with a base hit. Kelly attempted a sacrifice bunt, but beat the throw to first, loading the bases with no outs.

Chris Azimi hit a hard grounder to third that resulted in a force out at home, but Mancini’s follow-up play allowed a run to score when the ball slipped past, and Kelly advanced to third. With the bases still loaded, Henry Barbagallo delivered a sacrifice fly to left, giving Somers a 2-0 lead heading into the third.

Kelly ran into trouble in the third, issuing a walk and hitting two batters to load the bases with one out. However, a 5-4-3 double play started by Tyler Venturini ended the threat.

Hernandez kept his team within reach, striking out one and inducing two fly balls in the inning.

Hendrick Hudson broke through in the fourth. Lynch led off with a single, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Gabe Negron drove him in with a two-out single, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The inning ended when Justin Thomas and Jake Hopper combined to catch Negron attempting to steal, with Hopper applying the tag.

Somers had a chance to add insurance in the bottom of the fourth. D’Ambrosio doubled to center, and Kelly reached second with a single and a stolen base. But a ground ball by Azimi resulted in a double play, keeping it a one-run game.

From there, Kelly remained in control. He struck out two in the fifth and added two more in the sixth, using his curveball effectively to keep hitters off balance.

In the seventh, Kelly closed the door in dominant fashion. Aside from a two-out walk, he struck out the side to secure the complete-game victory for Somers.