July 10, 2009

Golden Eagles Finally Return East Field

Filed under: 2009 Season, Game Preview — Eric Rushia @ 9:04 am
Glens Falls finish 3-2 on the road trip, suffer three rainouts
The Glens Falls Golden Eagles Return home tonight to East Field after extended road trip.

The Golden Eagles (19-6) take on the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs tonight at East Field in a doubleheader beginning at 5pm, with the second game beginning 30 minutes after the completion of game one.

The Golden Eagles will host the secondnd place Amsterdam Mohawks on Saturday and Sunday.  Game time for Saturday is a 7pm start (not 1pm as the Post Star has reported) and 4pm on Sunday.

Tonight is “Rally Cap for East Field,” sponsored by WCKM Radio. Sunday’s game will be free haircut night.

Be sure to come out to East Field and see your No. 22 nationally ranked Glens Falls Golden Eagles of the New York Collegiate Baseball League  in action.  It is great baseball right in your own BACKYARD!

June 20, 2009

Rain, Rain Go Away

Filed under: 2009 Season, Game Preview, Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs, Promos, Saratoga Phillies, Watertown Wizards — Tags: , — Eric Rushia @ 1:54 pm
Past Two Home Games For Golden Eagles A Wash

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.

June 17, 2009

Golden Eagles Itching to Snap Dawgs Two-Game Win Streak

Filed under: 2009 Season, Game Preview, Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Eric Rushia @ 7:37 am
Glens Falls Undefeated In Two Games Against Mohawk Valley

eag_vs_mvdd1

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

June 13, 2009

Glens Falls’ Looks For Fifth Straight Road Victory

Filed under: 2009 Season, Game Preview, Watertown Wizards — Tags: , , — Eric Rushia @ 1:08 pm
Golden Eagles Hoping For Two In A Row Over Watertown

eag_vs_ww

After notching their fourth straight win of the 2009 season, the Glens Falls Golden Eagles hopped on bus at around 10 a.m. this morning for the four-hour scenic route up to Watertown for a 7 p.m. game against the third place Wizards at Alex T. Duffy Baseball Field.

On the season, Glens Falls has been a perfect 4-0 away from East Field while Watertown has been a perfect 4-0 at home this season. One of these two teams’ streaks will end tonight, and Golden Eagles Head Coach John Mayotte is not one to tinkering the batting order or even the starting lineup.

“When you’re on a four-game winning streak, you don’t want to over-coach and over-manage,” Mayotte said. “Our guys aren’t at their best yet, but this early in the season I’ve been happy with our pitching and where our guys are in the batting order.”

The Golden Eagles, who defeated the Wizards 12-7 in the second home game of the season back on June 6, can put a three-game cushion between them and Watertown with a win.

Last season, the No. 1 seed Glens Falls Golden Eagles opened the 2008 playoffs with a two-game sweep over the No. 4 seed Watertown on their way to a second straight birth in the NYCBL Championship birth.

In game two of that two-game set with Watertown, current Glens Falls 2009 players, sophomore pitcher Jamie Storey (MIdland College) and junior outfielder Anthony Giansanti (Siena) each played pivotal roles in shoring up the series win. Both players pitched entered the game from the bullpen, combining for four innings, two earned runs and a pair of strikeouts.

Storey will likely not be making an appearance tonight as he pitched four relief innings against the Diamond Dawgs last night, allowing one earned run and striking out four in the three and two-thirds innings. Giansanti, on the other hand, serves Coach Mayotte’s team as primarily and offensive weapon this season. Smashing both his and the teams’ first homerun of the season in last night’s game.

During the 40-game regular season last year, the Golden Eagles defeated the Wizards six out of eight games the two teams’ played, losing one game each at Watertown and at home.

“Long bus rides are just part of being a professional baseball player.” Mayotte said. “The challenge for the players during the summer is to prepare mentally, emotionally, and physically for each and every game.”

Freshmen righty Tony Dischler (Louisiana Monroe) starts his second game of the season tonight. In his last start, against Saratoga, Dischler lasted six innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out seven in the no-decision.

Glen Falls closes out week two of the 2009 NYCBL summer wood-bat baseball season on Sunday against the Albany Dutchmen at Bleecker Stadium. In their game of the season, the Golden Eagles defeated the Dutchmen 3-1 in extra innings. Albany’s win-loss record stands at 2-3 this season and they host the Amsterdam Mohawks tonight.

by Eric Rushia

June 12, 2009

Glens Falls Needs Another Solid Pitching Performance Tonight

Filed under: 2009 Season, Game Preview, Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs — Tags: , — Eric Rushia @ 1:04 pm
Golden Eagles Strive For Second Straight Over Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs

eag_vs_mvdd

Winning in front of the home crowds at East Field this season seems to have been a chore thus far for the 2009 Glens Falls Golden Eagles.

With just one win in three games at home this season, the Glens Falls Golden Eagles still sit in first place with a 5-2 win-loss record. Despite the 12-run and 19-hit outburst fans witnessed against the Wizards back on June 6, Glens Falls has managed six hits and three runs in the other two games. Though their pitching has been superb, allowing 19 hits in three home games.

“Once the kids start to relax a little bit more, and just getting a chance to play everyday is a big factor,” Golden Eagles Head Coach John Mayotte said. “We had a chance to do some extra hitting and drill work.  I think the preparation has been a little better and the kids are starting to get in a routine.”

Last night they avenged one of their two previous home losses, blanking the Saratoga Phillies on the road 6-0, behind an outstanding pitching performance from senior starting pitcher Nathan Forer (Southern Illinois). Forer tossed 90 pitches last night, exiting the game in the ninth after working his way of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the eighth.

“We’re going to try to stick with what we’ve done so far this season,” Mayotte said. “We might adjust or adapt as these kids get stronger and they can throw more pitches.”

Tonight Glens Falls returns home to host the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs, a team they beat 7-4 on Wednesday up in Little Falls. The Diamond Dawgs finally picked up their first win of the 2009 summer, scoring four runs to the Watertown Wizards’ two and handing the Wizards their second loss in three games.

Junior righty pitcher Jerry A’Hearn (Central Arizona) starts tonight for the Golden Eagles. Pitching has been a strong point for the Golden Eagles over the years, especially with third-year pitching coach, Brett Merritt (New Mexico Military Institute) and first-year assistant pitch coach Jon McLain (Troy State) working with both the starters and relievers in the bullpen.

“As far a regular rotation, we’ve got a lot of great pitchers,” Mayotte said. “We’ll try to get them the ball and the number of innings they need to progress over the summer.”

Following Friday’s game against the Diamond Dawgs, the Golden Eagles go on the road for two weekend games against Watertown and Albany respectively. Glens Falls is off Monday, and the Golden Eagles return home for three games next week. Tuesday, they play Albany at 10:30 a.m., and Watertown and Saratoga travel to East Field Thursday, June 18 and Friday, June 19.

by Eric Rushia
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