By Justin Mattingly
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Let’s recap last night’s action:
Amsterdam 6 Watertown 2
The Amsterdam Mohawks used timely hitting and solid pitching to defeat the host Watertown Rams by a score of 6-2. Amsterdam had previously lost three straight games before the win against Watertown. The Rams fall two games below .500 for the second time this season.
Amsterdam took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a JaVon Shelby double. The game remained scoreless until the fifth inning when Amsterdam plated a run, the first of three consecutive innings in which Amsterdam scored.
Shelby and Lukas Nethaway each drove home runs with sacrifice flies in the fifth and seventh innings, respectively. In the sixth, the Mohawks scored on a double play and a Marcus Carson (Kentucky) triple. John Razzino drove home the final Mohawk run in the seventh.Watertown scored lone runs in the eighth and ninth innings to make it a 6-2 game. Jason Scholl doubled home Matt Diorio in the eighth while Dominic Lopez singled home Brandon Mikulka in the ninth.
Mohawk starter Taylor Blatch went five innings without allowing a run while striking out four and only allowing one hit in the win. Ram starter Dalton D’Spain went five and two-thirds innings allowing four runs on six hits while striking out three in his loss.
Marcus Carson finished 3-for-5 on the game and Josh Gardiner and John Razinno each tallied two hits for the Mohawks. Matt Diorio went 1-for-3 with two walks for the Rams.
Albany 6 Glens Falls 2
The Albany Dutchmen continued their hot start on Sunday, beating the Glens Falls Golden Eagles 6-2 behind timely offense. The Dutchmen currently have a 6-1 record, best in the PGCBL, and lead the East Division.
Albany struck first in the fourth inning, scoring a run on a sacrifice fly. The Dutchmen answered with two runs in the fifth after Teddy Cillis homered for the Golden Eagles. Ryan Toomey tripled to drive in two runs and give Albany a 3-2 lead.
The Dutchmen would go on to score once in the seventh on a Danny Hrbek triple and two more in the eighth to finish the game with a 6-2 lead. Albany starter Jake Welch went six innings, allowing two runs as he picked up his second win of the season. Jack Fowler took the loss for the Golden Eagles after allowing four runs in six and two-thirds innings.
Elmira 11 Newark 6
The Elmira Pioneers used big innings in the sixth and seventh to pull away as they went on to beat the Newark Pilots 11-6. Newark, who went into the game with a 6-2 record, still sits atop the West Division standings.
In the sixth, Elmira scored on RBI singles from Chris Kalousidian and Nick Walker. In the seventh, shortstop Derek Deler clubbed a three-run home run and Walker drove in another run with a single.
Roberto Suppa went five innings allowing three runs (two earned), striking out five as he picked up his first win of the season. Andrew Sanders went five and a third innings allowing six runs (four earned) as he went to 0-2 on the young season.
Kalousidian, Walker and Deler each led the Pioneers with three hits apiece. Newark’s offense was led by Tanner Giesel who went 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Utica 4 Adirondack 2
The Utica Brewers scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a 4-2 lead and held on to beat the visiting Adirondack Trail Blazers, 4-2.
In the eighth, Anthony Villa walked with the bases loaded to bring home a run and an error provided insurance, extending the Brewer lead to 4-2. Krystien Johnson tossed two innings of scoreless baseball to pick up the win for Utica. Reliever Jesse Whitmeyer went an inning and a third allowing two runs (one earned) as he took the loss.
The Brewers pitching staff held the Trail Blazers to just two hits on the night and only allowed seven base runners. For Adirondack, the visitors scored twice in the sixth to knot the game at two before allowing the two runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Let’s preview tonight’s games:
Amsterdam at Mohawk Valley DH: 5:05 p.m.
After a rainout on June 11 postponed Amsterdam and Mohawk Valley’s game, the two teams are set to play a double-header in Little Falls. Amsterdam is coming off a 6-2 win at Watertown after losing three straight while Mohawk Valley beat Adirondack 7-5 on Saturday, the team’s last game. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.
Albany at Glens Falls 7:00 p.m.
A night after Albany beat Glens Falls in Albany, the two teams turn around to face each other once again, this time in Glens Falls. Albany currently sits in first place in the East Division with the best record in the PGCBL at 6-1. Glens Falls is 2.5 games behind the Dutchmen. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Utica at Watertown 7:00 p.m.
Watertown and Utica will meet for the third time on the young season as Utica makes its second trip of the season to the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds. The Brewers are coming off a 4-2 against Adirondack while the Rams lost 6-2 against Amsterdam a night ago. First pitch in Watertown is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Elmira at Newark 7:05 p.m.
For the second consecutive night, Newark and Elmira will face one another, this time in Newark. Last night the Pioneers used big innings in the sixth and seventh to go on and defeat the Pilots 11-6. This will be the fourth time these two teams have played one another, with Elmira leading the season series two games to one. First pitch at Colburn Park is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
For all the latest scores and updates, follow the PGCBL on Twitter, @PGCBLbaseball.