Golden Eagles clipped in Saturday twin bill by Mohawks
Filed by the Glens Falls Golden Eagles...
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. - The Amsterdam Mohawks swept the Glens Falls Golden Eagles in a doubleheader on Saturday Night at East Field. The Mohawks scored twice in the sixth inning of the opening game to come away with a 6-4 victory. In the night cap, Amsterdam erupted for 12 runs in the sixth inning en route to a 17-2 win. The Mohawks (29-16) clinched a spot in the PGCBL playoffs with the wins while the Golden Eagles (23-20) dropped into fourth place in the PGCBL East, one game behind third-place Albany with five games remaining.
Amsterdam's Jordan Ebert (Auburn) and Keith Skinner (Fairfield) each drove in one run in the sixth inning to power the Mohawks past the Golden Eagles in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader at East Field on Military Appreciation Night.
The back-and-forth affair featured one lead change and two ties. Josh Anderson (Florida International) of the Golden Eagles socked a two-out, two-run single in the first. The Mohawks rebounded with three runs on five hits in the second. Dylan Smith (Auburn) swatted a solo home run while John Sansone (Florida State) and Keith Skinner added RBI singles. The Golden Eagles managed to pull even in the third inning on a Buddy Putnam (South Florida) fielders' choice which scored Bryan Ramirez (UTPA) from third.
Amsterdam's John Nogowski (Florida State) broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth inning with an RBI single off of Glens Falls' Zach Hopf (Saint Peter's). The Golden Eagles immediately fired back with the tying tally in the bottom half of the inning. Bryan Ramirez (UTPA) tripled down the right-field line and came home to score on a Garrett DeGallier (Tacoma C.C.) ground out to the right side.
The Mohawks took their third and final lead of the game in the top of the sixth inning. Josh Gardiner (Radford) was hit by a pitch and he moved to third on a Brian Ruby (Binghamton) single. Matt Eckelman (Saint Louis) replaced Kevin Cowan (William Paterson) on the mound with runners on the corners and no outs. Jordan Ebert ripped a double down the left-field line that scored Gardiner with the go-ahead run and advanced Ruby to third. The next batter, Keith Skinner, lifted a fly ball into left field that was caught but deep enough to score Ruby from third.
Amsterdam's Chris Kalica (Schenectady County C.C.), who had recorded the final out in the bottom of the fifth inning, retired the side in order in the sixth. Mike Urbanski (Binghamton) pitched a perfect seventh to secure his fourth save and Amsterdam's 28th victory.
Josh Anderson paced the Green and Gold with three hits in three at-bats. Bryan Ramirez scored three of the Eagles' four runs. Kyle Holder (Grossmont) also went 1-for-4 with one run scored. Starting pitcher Zach Hopf did not figure in the decision. He pitched 4.1 innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits.
Keith Skinner led the Mohawks with a 2-for-2, two-RBI performance. Four other Amsterdam batters drove in one run each. Brian Ruby scored two of Amsterdam's six runs.
The Mohawks scored a season high 17 runs on 21 hits to claim the night cap and a spot in the 2013 PGCBL postseason. Twelve of Amsterdam's 17 runs crossed the plate in the decisive sixth inning on 11 hits.
Amsterdam jumped on Glens Falls' starter Andy Cheray (Missouri State) in the first inning. Ed Charlton (NJIT) belted a lead-off double and then scored on a Jordan Ebert (Auburn) single as Amsterdam amassed a quick 1-0 lead. A fielding error on the play allowed Ebert to move to third and the next batter, John Nogowski (Florida State), brought home Ebert with a ground out. Cheray settled down and got out of the inning having allowed just two runs. He worked a perfect second and then stranded two Mohawks on base in the third to keep the Eagles' deficit at 2-0.
The Mohawks increased their lead to 5-0 in the fourth. Brian Ruby (Binghamton) singled and moved to third on a throwing error. John Sansone (Florida State) doubled home Ruby and then scored on a Devin Wenzel (Cincinnati) RBI single. Wenzel eventually came around to score on a John Nogowski fielders' choice to push the Mohawks ahead by five.
Josh Anderson (Florida International), who had a two-RBI single in the opener, sparked the Eagles in the fifth inning with a one-out double into center field. He advanced to third on a Matt Snyder (Fulton-Montgomery C.C.) wild pitch and then scored on a Buddy Putnam (South Florida) ground out to shave the Mohawks' lead to four.
Amsterdam put the game away in the sixth with 12 runs on 11 hits. Ed Charlton (NJIT) highlighted the inning for the Mohawks with a three-run home run, his sixth home run of the season. Charlton finished the inning with four RBI; he had singled hoem a run in his first at-bat. Shane Zimmer (Canisius), a fourth-inning defensive replacement, had three RBI in the outburst on a two-run double and a two-out RBI single. Kevin Guthrie (Brown) also drove in two of Amsterdam's 12 runs during the inning.
Amsterdam starter Matt Snyder earned the win. He pitched five innings and allowed one run on three hits. He walked one and struck out five. Taylor Butler (LSU) and Thomas Young (Western Carolina) each pitched one inning of relief.
Offensively, the Mohawks recorded 21 hits. Ed Charlton and Jordan Ebert each went 4-for-5 with three runs scored. Both John Nogowski and Shane Zimmer recorded three RBI. John Sansone went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Brian Ruby and Devin Wenzel had two hits and two runs scored apiece.
Andy Cheray suffered the loss for Glens Falls. He allowed five runs, four earned, on nine hits over 3.1 innings. He walked none and struck out three. Jared Moore (Kansas State), Zach Merciez (Missouri State), Fernando Fernandez-Beltran (Vanier) and Armand Rugel (Stonehill) also pitched for the Eagles.
Glens Falls is back in action after an off day on Monday night in Newark as they take on the Pilots in a double header then return home to face Cooperstown on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. Amsterdam is off on Sunday and then the Mohawks host the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs on Monday night at 7:05 p.m.