Saturday’s slate featured seven matchups across the league, each with varying impacts on our rapidly approaching playoffs.

Elmira Pioneers 18, Niagara Power 6

The Elmira attack had bite in the first inning, where they scored their first five runs. Niagara outscored them 4-3 in the second and third inning, but the Pioneers’ offense overpowered them, scoring in every inning. The nail in the coffin came in the seventh inning when the Pioneers dropped six runs on the Power. Nick Lowe (Yorke) earned most of the Elmira runs. Lowe pitched four innings, allowing nine earned runs and seven walks. Kyle Chmielewski (Lafayette) drove in two of Elmira’s runs while he and Joe Olsavsky (John Carroll) reached base three times. For the Power, David Coleman (High Point) went two for four with an RBI. With the win, Elmira has as many wins as Geneva, their competition for the final playoff spot.

Boonville Baseball Club 7, Watertown Rapids 8

Action kicked up on the bases in the fourth inning when Boonville got four runners home, including three on a home run by Zach Crampton. Watertown got two back on a Michael Norton (Cayuga CC) home run and traded runs with Boonville in the fifth and sixth innings. The Rapids took the lead in the seventh when Elvis Lopez (Bloomfield) hit a three-run home run, three of the five runs posted by Watertown that frame. Boonville came within one run after some eighth-inning offense, but Aidan Maxwell (Cobleskill) settled down and finished things for the Rapids. Maxwell receives the win for his two innings of relief. Lopez led the team with his three RBIs while he and three teammates tallied two hits.

Saugerties Stallions 8, Albany Dutchmen 4

Saugerties jumped on Albany starter Arlo Marynczak (Siena), scoring their first three runs in the first inning. The Stallions added another run before the Dutchmen responded with Nick Schwartz (Southern New Hampshire) and Tyler Young (Lehigh) scores. Albany added two more in the sixth, cutting the deficit to one run. This did not last as a two-run home run by Evan Goforth (Indiana) got the Stallions going in an inning that they scored three runs. Tyler Strechay (West Virginia) received the win in relief of starter Gavon Wray (Georgia Southern). Wray lasted four innings and allowed two earned runs. For Albany, Young led the team with three hits.

Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs 3, Utica Blue Sox 12

Mohawk Valley struck first on Pink the Park Night, getting three first-inning runs from Utica starter Brandon Peterson (NJIT). All the runs came on an Orlando Pena (Coastal Carolina) double, giving him 20 RBIs on the season. Peterson left the game after two innings, and those three earned runs. Utica’s bats got hot in the third inning, starting a series of scoring innings capped off by a five-run seventh inning. Sam Thompson (Marshall) for his three innings of one-hit relief. David Thurman (Wayne State) also went more than two innings without allowing a hit but did walk five batters. For Utica, Avery Lee (Marshall), Lukas Schramm (Kentucky), and Kade Reinertson (Valparaiso) drove in multiple runs. After tonight’s results, Mohawk Valley is a game behind Saugerties for second place in the East.

Geneva Red Wings 14, Newark Pilots 7

After the two sides traded runs in the first, Geneva pulled ahead with eight runs in three innings. Cole Fleming (NJIT) hit a two-run double in this stretch. He finished the game two for four with four RBIs. A Michael Doyle (NJIT) two-run triple highlighted a five-run scoring stretch which cut Geneva’s lead to three runs. This was as close as they got because the Geneva bullpen held the Pilots to two hits and one earned run. Orion Daily (Fitchburg State) got the win, pitching five innings and allowing six earned runs. Nick Serce (Alfred State) also added four hits and two RBIs for the Red Wings.

Amsterdam Mohawks 5, Oneonta Outlaws 1

Amsterdam scored the first four runs on a first-inning single by Zach Gardiner (Marshall), a fifth-inning bases-loaded walk by Gardiner, an RBI by Cameron Love (Rutgers), and a Mark Black (Wake Forest) single. Devin Boone (Marist) scored the lone Oneonta run in the eighth inning before the Mohawks added another on a ninth-inning Brett Coker (Middle Tennessee State) hit. Collin Brougham (South Alabama) pitched five shutout innings for Amsterdam and accounted for three of the Mohawks’ four hits allowed. Gardiner finished with three hits, an RBI, and a walk.

Jamestown Tarp Skunks 3, Batavia Muckdogs 2

Jamestown and Mark Tucker (North Georgia) scored in the first inning, capitalizing on a wild pitch. Batavia then tied the game with a second-inning RBI single by Jerry Reinhart (Akron). Jamestown scored the next two runs, a fourth-inning RBI single for Jordan King (Delaware State) and a sixth-inning home run by Will Dorrell (Flo-Dar Tech CC). Batavia made it a game by getting a run off of Richard King (Florida State-Jacksonville), but Patrick Demarco (Penn State) soon came in to close the door. Eddie Galatas (North Georgia) received the win, allowing one run in six innings. With tonight’s results, Batavia is now half a game ahead of Utica for first place in the west.

Sunday’s Schedule:
Niagara at Batavia: 4 pm
Elmira at Oneonta: 5 pm
Jamestown at Newark: 5:05 pm
Auburn at Geneva: 5:05 pm
Saugerties at Glens Falls: 7 pm