After 17 games in the New York Collegiate Baseball League, a wood-bat summer baseball league, the 2009 Glens Falls Golden Eagles (13-4) now rank No. 22, up three spots from last week, in the recent weekly rankings produced by Perfect Game Cross Checker.

The East Division-leading Golden Eagles play a four-game home stand starting Sunday, June 28 when they host the last place Albany Dutchmen. In the two teams’ four games this season, Glens Falls has defeated the Dutchmen in every one, outscoring them 28-14 in total runs.

Today’s game starts at 4 p.m.

For the second time this season, the Golden Eagles will play a doubleheader, when they host the thrid place Watertown Wizards on Monday, June 29. The first game is scheduled to start promptly at 5 p.m., with the second to follow approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.

The Wizards handed the Golden Eagles their only road loss this season in a 9-8 extra inning affair. The two teams were supposed to play each other last week, but a brief rain shower and a power outage forced team ownership to call the game.

Tickets from that rainout will be honored for either game of the June 29th doubleheader. Monday’s doubleheader will also be free ice cream night, sponsored by Stewart’s.

Glens Falls’ closes out the first month of the 2009 summer season with a showdown against the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs on Tuesday, June 30. Tickets cost just $1 for the game as it is “Break the Attendance Night”. The Golden Eagles defeated the DiamondDawgs 7-1 on Saturday up in Mohawk Valley and have swept all four games against them this season.

by Eric Rushia

In the teams’ first doubleheader of the season, the Glens Falls Golden Eagles split with the Saratoga Phillies, defeating the Phillies 5-2 in game one for the first time at home in 2009, and losing 3-2 in game two for their third loss at home to the Phillies.

On the season, Glens Falls’ win-loss record in one-run games is 0-3, losing to the Phillies 3-2 back on June 7 at East Field, and losing 9-8 in extra innings to the Watertown Wizards at Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds.

“You don’t want the big inning to hurt you, Golden Eagles head coach John Mayotte said. “One run never’s going to hurt you in a season.”

Though they still sit in first place at 10-4, with almost a three-game cushion in the NYCBL East Division, Glens Falls has lost three games at home to Saratoga.

“You do your job, you’ll be in first place,”John Mayotte said. “You don’t and you’ll be in last place.”

The Golden Eagles shutout the Phillies 6-0 down in Saratoga back on June 11 and play road games against the Albany Dutchmen on Wednesday, a doubleheader against the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs this weekend, and the Phillies on the road, both Tuesday and Friday.

The Eagles host two home games against the Watertown Wizards, both Monday, June 22, and Thursday. Next Sunday, Glens Falls play home against the Dutchmen.

Singles from the freshman duo of shortstop Eric Phillips (Georgia Southern) in the second and catcher Conner Gandossy (Saint Louis) in the third failed to put the Golden Eagles on the scoreboard early, even after leadoff hitter Steve Zavala (Rutgers) sacrificed Gandossy to second, and Anthony Giansanti (Siena) walked.

Both games of the doubleheader today lasted seven innings.

Glens Falls finally plated two runs in the sixth when, with one-out, freshman left fielder Rodarrick Jones (New Orleans) poked a double to deep right and later stole third. After freshman designated hitter Justin Zumwalde (Pima C.C.) and Phillips both worked walks, freshman second basemen Kevin Berry (New Orleans) came up with the bases loaded and two outs looking to give the Golden Eagles their first lead of the game.

Berry sent a single down the right field baseline, scoring both Jones and Zumwalde. Phillips, who came charging home all the way from first on the Berry single, was called out at home on a controversial play.

“We thought he was safe and the tag never touched him,” Mayotte said. “I was following all the way down the line, waving the runner, and I had a real good look at the play.”

“I didn’t think he ever touched him,” Mayotte complained. “But that’s the umpire’s call and you’ve got to live with what he says”.

Pinch-hitting in the ninth for sophomore first basemen Nick Valdez (Central Arizona), junior Nick Schrock (Texas Wesleyan) walked and sophomore Chris Lashmet (Northwestern), who replaced Zavala in the batters’ box, singled to shallow left. After a pass ball pushed both runners into scoring position, the Saratoga pitcher intentionally walked Rodarrick Jones (New Orleans) to load up the bases for the second straight inning.

Unfortunately, the Golden Eagles failed to tie up the game and lost 3-2.

Pitching in his first start of the season, freshman right-handed Zach Kraham (Albany) lasted five innings before junior reliever Kellen Candau (Southern Illinois) entered the game for the final two. Candau tossed two scoreless innings, striking out two Phillies hitters, and decreased his ERA to 1.28 on the season.

Saratoga pitcher Tim Busbin (UC Davis) picked up the win, striking out five Golden Eagles in five innings. Offensively, the Phillies scored one run in the first inning and two runs in the fourth.

Glens Falls next plays Saratoga on the road Tuesday, June 23, and Friday, June 26.

photos and story by Eric Rushia

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.

Despite rainouts in their last two home games, finally Golden Eagles fans have something to cheer about on the field.

Of the 14 teams in the New York Collegiate Baseball League, Glens Falls reigns supreme over the rest.

With nearly three weeks of summer collegiate wood-bat baseball in upstate New York now in the books, the Golden Eagles rank 25 in Perfect Game Cross Checker’s national poll of summer collegiate baseball teams.

Not only do the Golden Eagles 9-3 overall win-loss record earn them the league’s best record by three games in the East Division over the Amsterdam Mohawks, a team they’ve once already this season, and a two-game lead over the West Division’s top team, the 7-3 Webster Yankees, but they also have played the most games than any other team in the NYCBL and experienced the most game cancellations.

After a slow 2-2 start to the 2009 season, Glens Falls Golden Eagles head coach John Mayotte, whose team currently sports a three-game winning streak, and his staff worry this recent string of rain-outs and other game cancellations may disrupt the teams’ momentum and routine heading into next week.

“That’s probably your worst nightmare,” head coach John Mayotte said. “When you’re playing well, you want to play every day. We’ve been playing well; we want to go down to the ballpark.”

This week, Glens Falls had half of their games called due to rain (Watertown and Saratoga) or cancelled due to technical difficulties (Mohawk Valley). Both rainouts were at home. A blown transformer cancelled  the Golden Eagles game against the Diamond Dawgs on Saturday.

“I don’t think one day sets you back, but more than one does,” said Mayotte, who added that sometimes during rainy stretches the team will try to get some practice time inside the dome at Adirondack Sports Complex to keep the players limber.

Practice they did. Hours after the game against Saratoga had been called, the Golden Eagles held practice inside the dome complex, as well as practicing at East field on Saturday and resting with a day off on Thursday.

Tomorrow, the team makes up the Saratoga rainout game as they host the Phillies in a doubleheader, the first for the Golden Eagles this season.

Monday, June 22, the Golden Eagles play Watertown Wizards in a makeup game from the Thursday rainout. The game starts at 7 p.m. and the first 250 fans in attendance receive a free pair of Glens Falls Golden Eagles Thunderstix.

Despite winning and seven of their last eight games, the Golden Eagles have struggled somewhat at East Field this season. Of their three losses, the Golden Eagles have lost two of five games in front of the Glens Falls’ faithful.

Though their pitching, which has been tops in the league for the past couple seasons, continues to be a team strong point.

Now entering their third seasons with Glens Falls, pitching coach Brett Merritt (New Mexico Military Institute), and bullpen coach Dan Kelly (S.C.C.C), in addition to first-year assistant pitching coach Jon McLain (Troy State) and assistant coach Andy Judkins (Minnesota State) have all worked well with both the bullpen pitchers and the starters this season.

The entire coaching staff has done a tremendous job, given the number of games the and innings-pitched the team’s worked and the long layoff between games this week. It will interesting to see how well all the pitchers perform in their next trip to the rubber, and whether they can keep rolling for the entire summer season.

The Golden Eagles pitching staff tossed one shutout so far this season when junior righty Nathan Forer (Southern Illinois), who leads the team with three wins and a 0.49 ERA, wowed Phillies hitters for eight innings.

In two appearances this season, freshman southpaw Daniel Watts (Jacksonville State) stands tied for the league lead in ERA, pitching over 10 innings and allowing zero earned runs.

Juniors Kellen Candau (Southern Illinois), a righty reliever whose’ four appearances tops all Glens Falls pitchers, and southpaw Jamie Storey (Houston Baptist), who’s been with the Golden Eagles for two seasons, each picked up saves in six combined appearances and almost 10 combined innings.

The only Golden Eagle to start in both his appearances, freshman right-hander Tony Dischler (U.L.M) leads the team in strikeouts (13), while fellow freshman lefty Ricky Ott (New Orleans) has the teams’ third save.

For Glens Falls this season, sophomore Andrew Brown (Akron) has given up the fewest hits (6) and lowest opponents batting average (.154), while Jerry A’Hearn (Central Arizona) has walked the fewest batters (1). In addition to A’Hearn, both sophomore righties WIllie Beard (Rutgers) and Alex Frederick (Clemson) each sport perfect 1-0 win-loss records with lefty Chase Richard (Southern) post two wins and zero losses.

As a team, Glens Falls ranks second in the NYCBL with a 2.25 ERA in 112.2 innings-pitched. Only the Webster Yankees have a better ERA, while the Watertown Wizards have pitched more innings. Third in the league with 80-plus strikeouts and second with three total saves, Glens Falls pitchers have allowed their opponents’ batting average to push .230, which is about .30 percent below their offensive overall batting average. Golden Eagle hitters have worked 43 walks this season, while the pitchers have walked 39 batters.

The Glens Falls Golden Eagles, who were scheduled to play the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs up in Little Falls today, have not played baseball since Wednesday when they defeated the Dawgs 7-4 at Veterans Memorial Park.

Today’s game has been cancelled, not because of the rain that forced Glens Falls to miss their past two home games, but because of a blown transformer.

No make-up date announced.

Hopefully the rains, which are expected to be scattered throughout the day tomorrow, will hold off for the Golden Eagles’ doubleheader against the Saratoga Phillies, at least for one game.

This week, Glens Falls has played just two of their five scheduled games.

After a steady rain all day Thursday pushed back a battle between first place Glens Falls (9-3) and second place Watertown (8-7), a mid-afternoon rain-shower soaked East Field just as the Golden Eagles prepared for batting practice against the Saratoga Phillies forced Darin Williams, team owner, to cancel the team’s second straight home game.

The Phillies have had the Golden Eagles number this season, defeating them twice at home. Saratoga lost all 10 games against Glens Falls in 2008.

Today, the Golden Eagles travel to Little Falls for a 7 p.m. game against the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs, who sit four games back of first place in the East Division after picking up their first win over the Watertown Wizards this season.

All three games these two teams, Mohawk Valley and Glens Falls, have played against each other this season have ended by 7-4 score in favor of the first place Golden Eagles.

On Wednesday, Nathan Forer (Southern Illinois) continued his impressive 2009 pitching campaign, shutting out the Diamond Dawgs for six innings, and Jamie Storey (Houston Baptist) notched his first save of the season with two strikeouts in the ninth.

Both of this week’s rainouts have already been rescheduled.

On Father’s Day, June 21, the Golden Eagles host the Phillies for a double-dip, with the first game starting at 1 p.m. and the second roughly 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. and the team will be accepting donations for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Upstate New York, in addition to giving away a pair of New York Yankees tickets.

The Pet Food Drive, sponsored by the Golden Eagles organization, takes place during both games and all proceeds go to The SPCA of Upstate NY’s Pet Food Pantry. Glens Falls fans who bring a Can of Pet Food to the game will receive $1 off one admission. Any Eagle fan who brings in a five-pound bag of Pet Food will receive one free admission.

Spend all day with your father and buy him a hot dog and a soda. Cheer on the Golden Eagles as they look to beat to the Phillies and avenge their two previous home defeats.

Sunday is also the First Annual “DOGS ON THE DIAMOND” NIGHT.” Free Admission will be given to any dad who is accompanied by his dog. All dogs must be well behaved, on leash and under control by an adult at all times.  Any dog not on a leash will not be admitted.

The SPCA of Upstate NY, located at 588 Queensbury Ave. Queensbury NY and is the largest NO-Kill shelte north of New York City, will have pets on hand and available for adoption.

Monday, which is usually an off day for the Golden Eagles, will be the make-up day for Thursday’s rainout against the Wizards. Glens Falls and Watertown split their season series this year, with both teams winning at home. The first 250 fans into East Field will receive a free pair of Golden Eagles Thunderstix. Be sure to arrive early as the gates open at 5:30 p.m.

Next week, Glens Falls heads on the road for four of their next seven games. June 25, the Golden Eagles next home game against Watertown, is free ice night. All fans in attendance will receive a free ice cream, courtesy of Stewarts, Glens Falls also plays the Albany Dutchmen, a team they’ve defeated twice this season, on Sunday, June 28.

Tonight’s game against the second place Watertown Wizards (8-6) has been called due to rain and will be made up  Monday, June 22 at East Field.

This summer, the East Division’s top two teams’ have split the season series 1-1, with the Golden Eagles winning the first game at East Field 12-7 and the Wizards taking the second contest 9-8 in extra innings at Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds.

Glens Falls (9-3) hosts the Saratoga Phillies on Friday. Saratoga handed Glens Falls its only two losses at East Field this season, during the first week of summer wood-bat baseball in the 2009 New York Collegiate Baseball League season.

In the teams’ last meeting, the Golden Eagles shutout the Phillies 6-0 behind a Nathan Forer’s (Southern Illinois) eight inning, one-hit, four-strikeout, and one walk performance. The Phillies (5-8)  defeated Glens Falls twice at East Field, once 4-1 in the Golden Eagles home opener and the other 3-2 on June 7.

For the third time this season, the first place Glens Falls Golden Eagles defeated the last place Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs 7-4. The win extends Glens Falls’ first place lead to two games over the Watertown Wizards and a four and one-half games lead over the Diamond Dawgs.

Perfect in three appearances this season, junior right-hander Nathan Forer (Southern Illinois) dazzled Diamond Dawg hitters for six stellar innings, allowing zero earned runs on four hits and striking out five to down his season ERA to 0.84 on the season.

Junior southpaw Jamie Storey ((Houston Bapist) picked up his first save of the season, closing out the ninth inning with two strikeouts and zero hits. Jerry A’Hearn (Central Arizona) originally relieved starter Forer, pitching two innings and striking out three Dawgs.

The Golden Eagles managed singles from junior right-fielder Nick Schrock (Texas Wesleyan), Rodarrick Jones (New Orleans), and Eric Phillips (Georgia Southern) in the games’ first three innings, but were unable to spark any rallies or score any runs until the fourth inning.

Playing in this first game for Glens Falls this season, Schrock belted two hits and score one run in his four at-bats.

The Glens Falls bats exploded for six runs of their seven runs in the third and fourth innings combined, adding its final run in the eighth and defeating the Diamond Dawgs 7-4.

A walk from Jones, followed by a single to left from cleanup hitter Sean Lamont (Georgetown) started to two-run two-hit fourth. After a sacrifice bunt from Justin Zumwalde (Pima C.C.) moved both Jones and Lamont into scoring position, Phillips worked a walk, his fourth this season, to load up the bases for Chris Lashmet (Northwestern).

Lashmet then rocketed a two-run single, scoring both Jones and Lamont, for his third RBI in the past two games.

Jones continues his hitting streaking, smacking three hits in four at-bats against the Diamond Dawgs on Wednesday, scoring his ninth run of the season, walking for the a team-high seventh time, and knocking in his team-leading 12 RBI this summer.

Leading off the four-run, five-hit fifth inning for the Golden Eagles, Schrock singles up the middle and then steals second, which allows Anthony Giansanti (Siena) to plate Schrock for his 10th RBI this summer. Giansanti later scores on a Lamont double, followed by Zumwalde single, which puts runners on the corners. Phillips picks up an RBI on a bunt single, scoring Lamont from third with Zumwalde scoring when a fielding error allowed Lashmet to reach base safely.

After the fifth, Glens Falls led 6-0. Lamont finished with two runs scored, two hits, and one RBI. Glens Falls top five hitters scored the team’s seven runs and the top seven tallied all 12 hits, with Phillips finishing the game 2-for-3.

Pinch-hitting in the eighth, Steve Zavala (Rutgers) worked his fourth walk of the season and then stole his third stolen base this summer. scoring on a Jones’ single for the games final run.

Mohawk Valley scored one run in the sixth, trimming the Glens Falls lead to 6-1, and added three more runs in the eighth. Glens Falls finished with seven runs on 12 hits, compared to the Diamond Dawgs four runs on eight hits and three errors.

If the rains hold off tonight, Glens Falls is scheduled to play the second place Watertown Wizards for a 7 p.m. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the first 250 fans receive a free pair of Thunderstix, courtesy of the Glens Falls Golden Eagles. In the teams’ last meeting, June 13 in Watertown, Glens Falls lost 9-8 in extra innings.

The first place Glens Falls Golden Eagles (8-3) go back on the road tonight looking to for their third straight win over the last place Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs (3-5).

The Diamond Dawgs, riding a two-game winning steak, hope to continue their good fortune and finally win one over Glens Falls. After defeating the Watertown Wizards 8-4 on  Tuesday and the Amsterdam Mohawks 11-3 on Monday, this will be the Diamond Dawgs first home game since beating the Wizards back on June 11.

In four games at Shuttleworth Park this season, the Diamond Dawgs have just one win, while the Golden Eagles have lost just one game away from East Field this season.

Last week, after handing the Diamond Dawgs their fourth straight loss, the Golden Eagles ventured out West and lost a 9-8 extra-inning nail-bitter to the second place Wizards, which is Glens Falls’ only road loss this season.

Glens Falls scored 14 runs against the Diamond Dawgs in the teams’  two previous games this season, winning both game 7-4.

Freshman center fielder and lead-off hitter Steve Zavala (Rutgers) doubled home sophomore infielder Nate Valdez (Central Arizona) en-route to a four-run, six-hit ninth inning and a Golden Eagles victory.

Zavala led all hitters with two hits and two runs scored. Valdez added a run-scoring double in the ninth that scored freshman catcher Conner Gandossy (Saint Louis) and finished with one walk and one run scored.

As a team this season, the Golden Eagles have drawn 38 walks, compared to their opponents who have drawn 37.

In the teams’ second game at East Field on June 11, the Golden Eagles scored all seven runs in the first four innings.

RBI singles from Rodarrick Jones (New Orleans) and Sean Lamont (Georgetown) scored Anthony Giansanti (Siena) and Jones respectively in the first inning.

Giansanti then homered, the teams’ first at East Field this season, in the second inning for two more RBI and upped the Glens Falls lead to 5-0.

Giansanti, just days after being drafted in the 49th round from the Oakland Athletics, blasted out three hits, scored two runs and knocked in three RBI against the Diamond Dawgs.

Jones, Lamont, and Gandossy each added one RBI, with Gandossy scoring two runs and doubling in the second inning.

Sophomore starter Jerry A’Hearn picked up his first victory against the Diamond Dawgs, tossing five quality innings, allowing one run, one walk and striking out five.

In the first game against the Diamond Dawgs, Chase Richard (Southern), who picked up his second win against Albany on Tuesday, relived Andrew Brown (Akron) for five innings, allowing one earned run and striking out four.

Glens Falls plays Mohawk Valley again the next two Saturdays, and doesn’t host them at East Field until the final day of June for Break the Attendance night. In July, the Golden Eagles host the Diamond Dawgs twice, on July 10 for Rally Cap Night sponsored by WCKM Radio and July 24, returning back to Shuttleworth Park on Sunday July 26.

by Eric Rushia