The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League season began on Thursday, June 1, with three East Division matchups. Here are the game recaps:
The Amsterdam Mohawks began their title defense with an impressive 10-0 win over the Albany Dutchmen in seven innings at Shuttleworth Park. Left-handed pitcher Tyler Sausville (New Haven) started on the mound for the Mohawks and held the Dutchmen to just three hits, zero runs and zero walks with three strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work to earn the victory.
Right-handers Gio Conte (UCONN) and Ryan Taffe (Fairfield) both threw 1.0 scoreless inning in relief for Amsterdam on Opening Day.
Eight different Mohawks recorded an RBI during the victory, led by third baseman Eddy Leon (Marshall) who provided a team-high three hits and a team-best three runs batted in. The Mohawks broke the 0-0 tie in the bottom of the second inning after catcher Bryce Hubbard (Mississippi State) led off the inning with a walk, then stole second base before being driven in by a base hit from Leon.
The Mohawks added three runs in the fourth, two in the fifth, and three more in the sixth before tallying their 10th and final run in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.
Shortstop Donovan Canterberry (Xavier), first baseman Tyler Cannoe (Salve Regina) and catcher Will Plattner each recorded one hit for the Dutchmen, while right-handed pitcher Derek Duval (Post) started on the mound and allowed one hit and one run with four walks through the first 3.0 innings.
Amsterdam will return to action on Friday, June 2 with a 7:00 p.m. matchup at Glens Falls.
The Utica Blue Sox held off the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs and earned a 13-10 win at MV’s Veterans Memorial Park on Opening Day. Utica did their work early, then Mohawk Valley put up a big inning in the fifth to mount a comeback, but Utica right-handed reliever Thomas Roefaro (Oneonta) held the DiamondDawgs scoreless during the final 3.0 innings to earn the save. Left-hander Holden de Jong delivered a quality start for the Blue Sox, holding the Dawgs to just two hits, zero runs and two walks with six strikeouts in 3.1 innings of work.
Mohawk Valley surrendered all 13 runs during the first six innings, then left-handed pitcher Ethan Patch (Carson-Newman) limited the visitors to just one hit, zero runs and two walks with four strikeouts during the final 3.0 frames.
First baseman Will Shannon (Hillsdale) tallied three hits and a team-best four RBI for the Blue Sox. Shannon broke the 0-0 tie with an RBI single to right field in the top of the first, then he launched a three-run home run during a seven-run inning for Utica in the fourth.
Shannon’s second hit of the game came with two outs and nobody on in the top of third, which extended the inning and allowed right fielder Taylor Kaufman (Hamilton) to hammer a two-run home run during the next at bat to extend Utica’s lead to 4-0.
Mohawk Valley catcher Mitch Balint (Carson-Newman) tallied a team-best three hits (including two doubles) during the loss, while second baseman Sam Miller (Columbia) delivered a game-high four RBI.
After Utica’s seven-run inning in the top of the fourth, the DiamondDawgs scored eight runs in the bottom of the fifth with the help of an RBI double from Balint, a two-RBI single from center fielder Jaden Ross (Hudson Valley) and a three-RBI double from Miller. Miller recorded his fourth RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth.
Balint led off the bottom of the ninth for MV with a single to center field, then Roefaro recorded back-to-back strikeouts for the first two outs of the inning. Ross drew a walk to bring the tying run to the plate, but Roefaro delivered another strikeout to end the game and secure the win for Utica.
The DiamondDawgs will host the Saugerties Stallions for a 6:30 game on Friday, while the Blue Sox will take on Watertown at the same time.
The Boonville Lumberjacks defeated the Watertown Rapids 9-1 on Thursday at Boonville’s Robert Smith Sports Complex to begin the 2023 campaign. Boonville right-hander Jacob Phillips (Guilford College) went 8.0 innings for the Lumberjacks and held the Rapids to two hits with eight strikeouts.
Designated hitter Dylan Mercedes (Mansfield) delivered two extra-base hits for the Lumberjacks, while outfielder Darnell Guerrero (Alliance) smashed a pinch-hit two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth.
Watertown will play their home opener on Friday at 6:30 p.m. against Utica, while Boonville will travel to Oneonta for a 7:00 p.m. matchup against the Outlaws.
The Jamestown Tarp Skunks played an exhibition contest against the Olean Oilers of the New York Collegiate Baseball League on Thursday and claimed a 7-4 win. Jamestown will open their PGCBL schedule on Saturday at Newark.