Glens Falls Picks Up 10th Win of Season, First Home Win Over Saratoga In 2009
photos and story by Eric Rushia
For the first time in two games, the Glens Falls Golden Eagles defeated the Saratoga Phillies at East Field this season, winning the game 5-2 in seven innings. The Golden Eagles totaled five hits, compared to the Phillies, who managed six hits.
In the first game of the Glen Falls Golden Eagles Father’s Day doubleheader against the Saratoga Phillies, freshman Justin Zumwalde (Pima C.C.) hit his first homerun of the season when his solo shot in the bottom of the second inning put Glens Falls on top 1-0.
“I had a good feeling it was gone when I hit it,” Zumwalde said. “I got hold of it pretty good, hitting it right on the barrel and it carried well.”
Leading off in the bottom of the fifth, junior catcher Gary DerHagopian (Siena) lined a single over the Phillies shortstop and came around to score when Kevin Berry (New Orleans) roped a double that rolled all the way to the wall.
“Coach Mayotte’s been working me a lot lately,” Glens Falls junior catcher Gary DerHagopian said. “He’s fine-tuning some things and really helping me relax at the plate.”
DerHagopian finished the game with two runs scored runs, a single, and a stolen base. Junior leadoff hitter Nick Schrock (Texas Wesleyan) and freshman left fielder Rodarrick Jones (New Orleans) each also stole a base, as did DerHagopian. Glens Falls has 22 stolen bases this season.
Back-to-back doubles from Anthony Giansanti (Siena), and Jones in the fifth helped give the Golden Eagles a 5-0 lead after the first five innings.
Jones upped his team lead in RBI (14), adding two, while Giansanti added an RBI in the fifth and now has 10 this season.
The Phillies scored two runs on the five hits in the sixth and seventh innings. Marc Zecchino (Virginia Tech), who shut down the Golden Eagles for one hit in their season opener, picked up the loss, his first one this season.
With the win, Glens Falls becomes the first NYCBL team this season to secure double-digits victories, as they hold a commanding three-game lead over the Amsterdam Mohawks in the East Division and five games up on the Phillies.