Hot Tri-City Bats Blow by Miners
ValleyCats take game one of the 2025 playoff rematch
The Sussex County Miners (2-2) opened their second homestand of the season Tuesday night at Skylands Stadium, hosting the Tri-City ValleyCats (3-1) in a rematch of the 2025 Frontier League Wild Card Round series. Their Atlantic North rivals jumped out early and never looked back, handing Sussex County a 5-1 defeat.
Jackson Balzan (L, 0-1, 11.25 ERA) made his season debut for the Miners, allowing eight hits and five earned runs while striking out three across four innings. The ValleyCats set the tone immediately, scoring three runs in the first inning and forcing Sussex County to play from behind from the outset.
Sussex County’s offense generated early opportunities, collecting seven hits through the first four innings against Tri-City starter Aiden Kelly (ND, 2.25 ERA). However, timely hitting proved elusive, as the Miners stranded 10 runners and managed just one run despite consistent traffic on the bases.
The game shifted once the bullpens took over. Colin Kelly delivered a strong relief outing for Sussex County, tossing three innings while striking out four, walking four, and allowing only one hit. Dalton Fowler pitched a scoreless eighth and punched out two batters. Zack Austin followed with a clean ninth inning, retiring the side in order and recording one strikeout in his second appearance out of the bullpen.
Tri-City’s relief corps shut the door offensively on Sussex County. Logan Jones (W, 1-0, 0.00 ERA) and Nate Nabholz each worked two scoreless innings before Arlo Marynczak closed out the victory in the ninth.
Switch-hitting second baseman Hunter D’Amato continued his hot start with another two-hit performance, raising his team-leading batting average to .375. Right fielder Mahki Backstrom scored the Miners’ lone run on an RBI single by left fielder Gabriel Maciel in the first inning.
The loss dropped Sussex County to 2-2 in the Atlantic Conference East Division behind the New Jersey Jackals and New York Boulders, who share first place with 3-1 records.
The Miners will look to even the series on Wednesday, May 13, during Education Day at Skylands Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 11:05 AM. Tickets are available at tickets.scminers.com. Watch all Miners games live on HomeTeam Network and listen to the Miners Radio Network broadcast on Mixlr.
Please visit sussexcountyminers.com for tickets, news, and updates, and follow the Miners on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
By Collin Ferguson with Dennis Mark and Scott Davies
Above: Hunter D’Amato continued his torrid start with another pair of hits. Photo by Phil Hoops.