In a game that started out as a scoreless pitching duel through six innings between the Glens Falls Golden Eagles and the Watertown Wizards, the offenses seized control in the latter stages, as Glens Falls took a nail-biter 5-3.

A crowd of 570 at East Field saw Golden Eagles starter Wes Judish (San Diego) and Wizards starter Bryan Chudy (Clarkson) go back and forth for six innings, trading zeroes, before the offensives came alive in the seventh and eighth innings.  With the score 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Casey Rodrigue (LSU Eunice) hit an 0-2 pitch into the right centerfield gap, to plate two runs, and give Glens Falls a 5-3 win, which would be the final margin.

Neither team could do anything right offensively I the early stages, with only four total hits being mustered up through six innings of play.  The Golden Eagles only hit was a first inning single from Alberto Morales (Clarendon), while Watertown got three hits, all of which were singles, and no runner made it past second base.  In that time span, both starters struck out five batters and looked to be in complete dominance.

Things exploded in the seventh, however, as one of the wackier plays you will see in baseball gave the Wizards the lead.  Jordan Enos (Holy Cross) hit a deep fly ball to centerfield, which Golden Eagles outfielder Danny Brennan (St. Louis) appeared to have, but he lost it in the lights, resulting in a one-hopper off of the fence.  Brennan’s throw was errant, and Enos advanced to third.  J.P. Rousseau (Georges-Vanier Secondary) picked up the throw, tried to throw Enos out at third, but gunned it into left field, allowing the run to score, unearned.

The Golden Eagles turned the tables in the bottom half of the inning, as Chase Griffin (Georgia Southern) led off with a walk, before Mike Vigliarolo (St. Louis) struck out.  Rodrigue got his first RBI of the day with a triple to right, scoring Griffin.  Rodrigue came on to score on a sacrifice fly by Kevin Meyers (Northeastern Oklahoma A&M), which was followed by a Buddy Putnam (South Florida) single.  After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Putnam came around to score on a single from Rousseau, making the score 3-1 Glens Falls.

One of the more interesting events of the game happened on a pickoff attempt at third on Rodrigue, who was deemed safe by infield umpire Dylan Cleveland.  Watertown head coach Nathan Kafka argued mildly, before returning to the dugout before assistant coach Matt Burns stormed onto the field and got into it with the umpire.  After being ejected, Burns threw several bats and balls onto the field, before covering home plate with dirt on his way out the door, all to a standing ovation from the visiting crowd.

Once the game got back underway, Watertown was able to knot the score at three, with a two out rally.  After Judish recorded a strikeout, singles from Brandon Roush (Texas Pan-American) and Donald Walter (Cal Poly Pomona) chased him from the game.  Reliever Jake Doller (Kansas State) came on and surrendered a single to Derek Hagy (Texas Pan-American) to score one run, before two walks scored the tying run.

Glens Falls took the lead for good however in the bottom of the eighth inning, on Rodrigue’s double that plated two.  After Brennan led off with a double to center, Watertown reliever Kole Mickolio (Utah Valley) allowed a walk to Vigliarolo, before allowing the game winning double to Rodrigue.

Ryan Skoubo (Tacoma C.C.) came on in the ninth for his first save of the season, giving Glens Falls the win.  With the victory, Glens Falls moved another half game closer to Newark, leaving them just percentage points behind the Pilots, with both teams having two games remaining.

The teams have a quick turnaround, playing each other again tomorrow, this time in Watertown.  Game time is set for 7PM.  Both teams close out their season on Wednesday August 1st, when Glens Falls hosts Oneonta at home, while Watertown hosts Mohawk Valley.  Both games are set for 7PM starts.