June 21, 2009

Golden Eagles Lose Heartbreaker In Seven Innings

Filed under: 2009 Season, Game Recap, Saratoga Phillies — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Eric Rushia @ 7:18 pm
The Golden Eagles Split Doubleheader With Phillies

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.”

CIMG3558

Homeplate umpire waits to call Eric Phillips, No.18, out at
the plate as Rodarrick Jones signals safe. The run would have tied the
game for Glens Falls in the sixth, the games' second to last inning.

“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

June 18, 2009

Golden Eagles Score Six Runs In Two Innings, Win 7-4 Again

Filed under: 2009 Season, Game Recap, Watertown Wizards — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Eric Rushia @ 9:35 am
Glens Falls Now 6-1 On The Road

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.

Jamie Storey talks to Conner Gandossy during Tuesday's game. Story picked up his first save against the Diamond Dawgs on Wednesday.

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.

Lashmet

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.

June 15, 2009

Glens Falls Beats Albany Again In 10 Innings

Filed under: 2009 Season, Albany Dutchmen, Game Recap — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Eric Rushia @ 9:28 am
Siena Teammates Star In Green And Gold Win

The Glens Falls Golden Eagles got back to their winning ways on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Albany Dutchmen at Bleecker Stadium for the second time this season.

One day of losing a heart breaker in extra innings against Watertown, Glens Falls posted a huge four-run 10th inning against Albany and secured another extra inning win over the Dutchmen. The Golden Eagles defeated Albany 3-1 in 10 innings back on June 5, the teams’ second game of the season and its first 2009 win.

After freshmen Justin Zumwalde (Pima C.C.) and Eric Phillips (Georgia Southern) both reached base safely from a single and an error respectively, junior catcher Gary DerHagopian (Siena) stepped up to bat still looking for this first hit of the game.

With two outs in the top of the 10th and DerHagopian due for a hit, the catcher crushed his first homerun of the summer, breaking the 4-4 tie and putting the Golden Eagles back on top 7-4.

Glens Falls plated one more run to shore up the victory when back-to-back singles from sophomore Nate Valdez (Central Arizona) and freshmen Pepito Moreno (Pima C.C.) kept alive the Golden Eagles’ two-out rally. DerHagopian’s Siena college teammate junior Anthony Giansanti (Siena) then singled home Valdez for the games’ final run.

DerHagopian finished the game with three RBI, one run scored and one walk. Both Phillips and Valdez each added two hits and scored two runs of their own.

Giansanti, swinging a hot bat, added three hits, including a double, and one run scored. He’s scored at least one run in the past three games. As a team, the Golden Eagles offensive lineup tallied 14 total hits, compared the the Glens Falls’ pitching staff that allowed six hits. In the final frame, the Golden Eagles scored four runs on five hits.

Despite being patient at plate against Watertown on Saturday and working seven walks, the Golden Eagles were free-swingers this afternoon as they walked two times all game. Freshmen Rodarrick Jones (New Orleans) walked in the first and later smoked a solo shot in the third, which gave Glens Falls its first lead of the game.

Now fully recovered from food-poisioning, sophomore third basemen Sean Lamont (Georgetown), who doubled back in the first, added an RBI in the fifth when his single scored Giansanti from second.

Once the Dutchmen tied the game in the fourth, the Golden Eagles jumped back ahead with one run on one hit in the sixth. Phillips led off the inning with a double and later scored on a sac fly from freshmen Kevin Berry (New Orleans).

Sophomore pitcher Alex Frederick (Clemson) picked up the win in his first appearance with the Golden Eagles this summer. Frederick relieved junior pitcher Kellen Candau (Southern Illinois), and pitched two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out one. Candau lasted just an inning and two-thirds, but the righty also allowed zero runs with three strikeouts and one hit.

Freshman southpaw Ricky Ott (New Orleans) started the game, lasting five and two-thirds innings, striking out five, coughing up two runs on two hits, and walking two others. Freshman Willie Beard (Rutgers) also made an appearance, facing five batters.

With an off day on Monday, the Golden Eagles return to East Field for an early morning game against this same Dutchmen. The game will be the first time Albany’s traveled to Glens Falls this season, after losing two at home to the road warriors. Glens Falls holds a 5-1 win-loss record in away games this season, which is tops in the league, and still sits atop the East Division with a 7-3 record, a half-game lead over the Wizards and a game up on the Amsterdam Mohawks.

by Eric Rushia

June 14, 2009

Golden Eagles Lose Heartbreaker In Extra Innings

Filed under: 2009 Season, Game Recap, Watertown Wizards — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — Eric Rushia @ 1:20 am
Glens Falls’ Four-Game Win Streak Snapped

As has been the norm all season long thus far for the Golden Eagles, Glens Falls plated four runs in the first, but then didn’t score again until the eighth inning when they tied the game with four more runs; and ultimately lost 9-8 to the Watertown Wizards in 12 innings.

The loss, the first for Glen Falls away from East Field this season, snaps the four-game win streak, drops their overall win-loss record to 6-3 after two weeks of wood-bat summer baseball in the New York Collegiate Baseball League, and puts them just one half games ahead of the Wizards for first place in the East Division.

Walks from freshmen Pepito Moreno (Pima C.C.) and Rodarrick Jones (New Orleans) set the stage for Justin Zumwalde (Pima C.C.), who singled home his college teammate and then stole second to move into scoring position. A pass ball scored Jones and allowed Eric Phillips (Georiga Southern) to reach first base safely on a swinging third strike.

With runners at the corners, freshmen Kevin Berry (New Orleans) hit the ball hard off the shortshop’s glove, which scored Zumwalde, Berry’s college teammate. Conner Gandossy (Saint Louis) then roped an RBI single down the left-field line, scoring Phillips from third and putting the Golden Eagles ahead 4-0.

Moreno finished with three walks and two runs scored. Both Zumwalde and Phillips each added two hits and one run scored. Sophomore Nate Valdez (Central Arizona) also singled in the first before the inning came to a close.

The Golden Eagles have scored 10 first-inning runs this season, and were previously undefeated when leading after one.

Back-to-back singles from Zumwalde and Phillips in the Glens Falls’ fifth had the Eagles needing a clutch, two-out hit to pad their 4-2 lead. But that hit never came, at least not for the Golden Eagles in the fifth inning.

With one run in both the first and third innings, the Wizards’ bats chipped away at the Glens Falls lead. Busting the game wide open with six runs on six hits in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Wizards bats’ calmed down the rest of game until, with two outs in the 12th, a failed pick-off attempt allowed Watertown to score the game-winning run.

The Glens Falls lineup were held hitless in five innings, including all three extras. In two extra inning games this summer, the Golden Eagles’ record stands at 1-1, with an 0-2 win-loss record in one-run games.

Trailing by four runs heading into the top half of the eighth, the Golden Eagles’ clutch, two-out hitting propelled them to score four runs on two hits and allowed them to tie the game at 8-8.

Three walks drawn by Berry, Gandossy, and Moreno loaded the bases for the teams’ hottest hitter, junior Anthony Giansanti (Siena). Giansanti cleared the bases, with a three-run triple, and trimmed the Watertown lead down to only one run.

Jones then singled home Giansanti to knot the game at eight runs a piece. The RBI single was Jones’  second hit of the night and the seventh in his last three games.

In total, Glens Falls worked seven walks off Watertown pitching tonight, compared to the Glens Falls staff that allowed just five walks through 12 innings.

Starting his second game of the season, freshman right-hander Tony Dischler (Louisiana Monroe) lasted four and one-thirds innings and struck out six batters before Daniel Watts (Jacksonville State).

Watts dominated Wizards hitters for six and one-thirds innings pitched, allowing only one earned run on five hits, striking out five and walking one.

Junior Kellen Candau (Southern Illinois) entered the game after two outs in 11th inning. Candau beamed the first batter in the 12th, which turned out to be the difference as the runner eventually came around to score on a failed pick off attempt.

Glens Falls travels to Albany to play the Dutchmen this afternoon hopefully they can get back on track. The Golden Eagles defeated Albany in extra innings back on June 5th. After an off-day on Monday, the Golden Eagles return home for a 10:30 a.m. game against the Dutchmen at East Field on Tuesday, June 16.

by Eric Rushia

June 11, 2009

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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