June 11, 2009

Glens Falls Shuts Out Saratoga, 6-0

Filed under: 2009 Season, Game Recap, Saratoga Phillies — Tags: , , , — Eric Rushia @ 10:40 pm
Golden Eagles Still Perfect On The Road This Season

Just one week after dropping their home opener to the Saratoga Phillies, the Glens Falls Golden Eagles traveled south to East Side Rec seeking redemption. Not only had the Phillies defeated the Golden Eagles twice already this season, but they did so with pitching, limiting Glens Falls to five hits and three runs in two games.

This time, the Golden Eagles scored twice as many runs and nearly twice as many hits in just one game against the Phillies on Thursday. Glens Falls also held the Phillies to a mere three hits.

Behind a stellar pitching performance from junior right-hander Nathan Forer (Southern Illinois), who shutout Saratoga for eight innings, Glens Falls scored six runs on 11 hits and defeated the Phillies 6-0.

Starting his first game this 2009 summer season, Forer pitched a gem, retiring the first seven Phillies’ hitters, facing the minimum through seven and two-thirds innings, allowing only one hit until the eighth inning, striking out four and walking just one.

Forer experienced trouble in the eighth inning, but managed to pitch his way out of the jam before passing the ball off to the Golden Eagles bullpen.

After walking the bases loaded with just one-out, Forer forced the Phillies second basemen to ground out into an inning-ending double play. Freshmen southpaw Daniel Watts (Jacksonville State) relieved Forer in the ninth, allowing zero baserunners and striking out two.

The win, Forer’s second straight this season, marks the first shutout for the Glens Falls’ pitching staff this season. Last season, the Golden Eagles staff compiled seven complete-game shutouts, including three against the Phillies. Glens Falls shut out Saratoga twice at East Side Rec in 2008, including a 3-0 win in  the regular season finale.

Hours after hearing his name called by the Oakland Athletics in the 49th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft, junior center fielder Anthony Giansanti (Siena) played one of his best games of the 2009 summer season.

Finishing the game 3-for-4, including a double in the second and a pair of singles in the fifth and seventh innings respectively, Giansanti scored two of the six Glens Falls’ runs.

After working a one-out walk in the first, Giansanti, batting in the two-hole, came around to score on an RBI double to center from freshman left fielder Rodarrick Jones (University of New Orleans). Jones later scored on a single from freshmen right fielder Justin Zumwalde (Pima C.C.) putting the Golden Eagles in an early 2-0 lead after the first.

BASEBALL 61109

The newest member of the Oakland A's, Anthony Giansanti smashes a double.

Jones led all hitters with three runs scored and finished with his second straight two RBI game, adding a single and scoring on a sac fly from Zumwalde in the eighth. Zumwalde tallied two RBI of his own and a pair of singles.

With one out in the top half of the third and Giansanti standing on second after a stand-up double, a balk from the Phillies’ pitcher moved Giansanti up 90-feet. Giansanti would later score on a sac fly from Jones pushing the Glens Falls lead to 3-0.

A two-out fielding error in the ninth allowed both Jones and his college teammate, freshmen designated hitter Kevin Berry (University of New Orleans), to score some insurance runs for the Golden Eagles, giving them an insurmountable  6-0 lead heading into the final half inning.

The Glen Falls Golden Eagles, who ended the 2008 season with a 14-7 road record, improve to a perfect 4-0 this season away from East Field. Glens Falls returns home tomorrow night looking to continue their winning ways when they play host to the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs, a team they defeated 7-4 on Wednesday night.

by Eric Rushia

Golden Eagles Eying Four-Game Road Win Streak

Filed under: 2009 Season, Game Preview, Saratoga Phillies — Eric Rushia @ 11:32 am
Glens Falls Yet To Beat Saratoga In Two Games This Season

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Heading into tonight’s game against the Saratoga Phillies, the Glens Falls Golden Eagles look to continue their undefeated three-game winning streak on the road this season. The Glens Falls Golden Eagles, whose only two losses this season have been at the hands of the Saratoga Phillies, start junior righty Nathan Forer (Southern Illinois). In his last appearance, against the Watertown Wizards, Forer came in as a reliever for freshmen southpaw Daniel Watts (Jacksonville State).

Forer, on his birthday, picked up the win. Pitching five innings, allowing one earned run, striking out three, walking one, and surrendering just three hits, Forer entered the game with a seven-run lead.

With Glens Falls now back to the top of the rotation, Golden Eagles Head Coach John Mayotte expects to start stretching out the number of innings for his starters and have fewer guys starting so he’s got some decisions to make in that regard.

Both games against their Phillies this season have been pitchers’ duals.

First, in the Golden Eagles 2009 home opener, sophomore pitcher Ricky Ott (University of New Orleans) lasted six innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out four Phillies in the 4-1 loss. In the two teams’ second matchup last Sunday, the Golden Eagles dropped another close game, this time 3-2 behind six innings from freshmen righty Tony Dischler (U.L.M)

The game-winning run came around to score on a controversial balk call in the seven inning, which junior righty Kellen Candau (Southern Illinois) contests. Candau figures to try that same move again should he find himself with runners at the corners.

“We got some real good pitchers, but we’re afraid of pitch counts right now,  Mayotte said. “Some of these guys haven’t pitched in a few weeks so we got to be careful. We’re going to try to cut them off at 75 pitches and stick with 5-4 type matchups.”

In 2008, the Glens Falls Golden Eagles were 14-5 on the road, defeating the Phillies five times and outscoring them 22-8 away from East Field. This weekend Glens Falls goes on the road for games against Watertown and Albany on Saturday and Sunday. The next time Glens Falls travels to Saratoga will be June 23, but they play them at home next Friday (June 19) and Sunday, June 21.

Remember all Sunday home games start at 4 p.m., with the June 21 game on Father’s Day being Dogs on the Diamond Night.

by Eric Rushia

Four Run Ninth Propels Golden Eagles To Win

Filed under: 2009 Season, Game Recap, Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs — Tags: , , , — Eric Rushia @ 9:53 am
Comeback Win Gives Golden Eagles Second Straight Road Victory

The Glens Falls Golden Eagle picked up their third straight road win on Wednesday and handed the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs their fourth straight defeat in a 7-4 victory at Veterans Park.

A four-run ninth inning for the Golden Eagles capped an impressive comeback as Glens Falls went down in order for the first three innings. The previous night, the Golden Eagles jumped out to an early 5-0 lead after the first inning.

“Some games you struggle with the bat,” Golden Eagles Head Coach John Mayotte said. “Offensive is cyclical, even in the big leagues.”

Leading off and playing centerfield for the Glens Falls Falls Golden Eagles, freshmen Steve Zavala (Rutgers) singled to center in the fourth inning for the teams’ first hit of the game. Zavala would later score on a wild pitch for the first run of the game.

Zavala finished with two hits and two runs scored, upping his batting average to over .300.

Without enough position players to field a designated hitter, the free-swinging Golden Eagles team amassed nine hits and seven runs, including six hits in the ninth inning.

Back-to-back doubles from sophomore third basemen Sean Lamont (Georgetown) and freshmen outfielder Justin Zumwalde (Pima C.C.) in the top half of the seventh inning allowed the Golden Eagles to knot the game up at three runs a piece.

Freshmen catcher Connor Gandossy (Saint Louis) singled up the middle to kick off the four-run ninth inning rally for the Eagles. The Golden Eagles broke the three-all tie in the ninth after a stand-up double to right from sophomore first basemen Nate Valdez (Central Arizona) scored Gandossy all the way from first.

A sacrifice bunt from junior pitcher Chase Richard (Southern) pushed Valdez to third.

The Golden Eagles played small ball throughout the entire game. Freshmen shortstop Eric Phillips (Georgia Southern), who jacked a grandslam the previous night against Amsterdam, added two more sacrifices in the fourth and eighth respectively.

“You have to coach differently with wood,” Mayotte said. “Build runs any way you can, don’t sit back and wait for the big inning.”

Zavala then double deep to left to score Valdez from third and put the Golden Eagles ahead 5-3.

Up next, freshmen outfielder Rodarrick Jones, who had been hit by pitches in two of his previous four at-bats, retaliated with a two-run shot over the right field wall for the teams’ second homerun in as many games.

“I wasn’t upset,” Jones said. “He had thrown me a slider before so I expected him to come back with it, and when he did I was ready and lifted it out of the ball park.”

Notching his second win of the 2009 summer season, lefty pitcher Richard allowed one earned run and struck out three in his five innings of work. Richard relieved right-handed starting pitcher Andrew Brown (Akron) after he went four strong innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out four.

The Glens Falls Golden Eagles travel to East Side Recreation Field for the first time this season. In two games against the Saratoga Phillies, the Golden Eagles’ have yet to defeat the Phillies, who lost 8-4 to the Albany Dutchmen on Wednesday, being outpitched in both games.

“One thing we need to do is make sure we square the ball up and put good contact on it,” Jones said. “We just need to make the pitchers throw pitches and avoid one-pitch outs.”

Glens Falls returns home on Friday when they play this same Mohawk Valley team. Game time is 7 p.m. and it’s Scout Day at East Field so any scouts wearing their uniform will receive free admission to the game.

by Eric Rushia

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