By: Josh Richardson – dutchmenbaseball.com
June 10th, 2023
(GUILDERLAND, NY): After a lengthy 4 days off for the Dutchmen, Albany returned home for a doubleheader against the Boonville Lumberjacks. However game one was not the outcome they were looking for; Boonville was able to start off the night with a 5-3 win.
Boonville started off the night with an early run in the first inning on an RBI single by Zach Rogacki (Alvernia). Striking back in the later half, Donovan Canterberry (Xavier) evened the score with an RBI single of his own.
Dutchmen starter Derek Duval (Post University) settled in after the first inning run to deliver a historic performance on the mound. Duval tied the single game Dutchmen record for strikeouts, punching out thirteen batters in 5.1 IP. Duval gave up only two runs and, even with the great outing, was on pace for a loss until the sixth inning when CF Vince Venditti (St. Rose) hit a leadoff homer to tie the game at two. Following Venditti, Canterberry hit a single and eventually scored later in the inning to give the Dutchmen a 3-2 lead heading into the top of the seventh.
With three outs left to secure a game one win, the Dutchmen brought in Nick Kolze (Xavier) to try and pick up the save. With the bases loaded and two out, Kolze gave up back to back singles, scoring three runs and giving Boonville a late lead. Griff Minor (Stillman College) would then come in and secure the game for Boonville after giving up a leadoff double to Le Moyne’s Brody Keneston, and end game one for the Lumberjacks, giving them a 5-3 win heading into the second game of the double header.
The Lumberjacks once again took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two on a Hugo Kohnhorst (Mineral Area College) double. However, that would be the best the Lumberjacks could do against Dutchmen starter David James (USC Upstate), who pitched six innings and had eight strikeouts while only giving up three hits. James picked up his second win of the season improving to 2-0. Ryan Pittz (UAlbany) closed the game out for the Dutchmen in a bounceback performance; he struck out two batters in a four batter seventh inning. The Dutchmen took a while to find their footing offensively in game two before exploding for three runs in the fourth inning to take the lead. The inning started with a strikeout, but back to back singles by Tyler Cannoe (Salve Regina) and JT Vance (Mississippi College) set up an RBI double from Fairfield’s Tyler Kipp. Kipp would later score on a bases-loaded walk by Venditti.
In the fifth inning, Keneston reached base on a throwing error by the Lumberjacks’ pitcher Eli Snelson (Union University). Keneston would score later in the inning on a two-out single by Vance. The Dutchmen then had another three run inning in the sixth after a Canterberry RBI double and Keneston’s two-run single, extending the lead, with the Dutchmen picking up the 7-1 win.
The Dutchmen’s next game is tomorrow on the road against the Saugerties Stallions. They will be back home at Dutchmen Field at Keenholts Park against the Stallions on Monday at 6:35PM. If you can’t make it to Dutchmen Field for Monday’s game, tune into the broadcast on Facebook Live.