Glens Falls, N.Y. - The Eastern Division champion Glens Falls Golden Eagles placed four players on the New York Collegiate Baseball League's annual post-season team. Scott Denault (San Diego) and Kody Johnson (Pima CC) were selected for the First team as a starting pitcher and designated hitter. Jose Valerio (San Diego) and Jack Wagoner (Sacred Heart) received second-team honors as a first baseman and starting pitcher.
Denault, in his second year in Glens Falls, finished the year with a 5-1 record and a 3.03 earned run average. The Torero struck out 61 batters in 74.1 innings this summer. The San Clemente, California native also tossed two complete games and held opponents to a .223 batting average. In his Golden Eagles career, Denault is 9-1 with a 2.98 earned run average. In 124.0 innings pitcher, Denault's 114 strikeouts rank him first in franchise career history and fourth and seventh in franchise season history. The rising senior only walked 39 in two summers and held opposing hitters to a .213 clip.
Valerio, one of three players from San Diego who played for Glens Falls this summer, finished the season batting .274 (.298 for the regular season). The rising redshirt-senior drove in 18 runs while leading the team with nine doubles. The defensive stalwart didn't commit an error all summer in 385 chances for a perfect 1.000% fielding percentage.
Wagoner was selected for the second team after finishing the regular season with a 6-0 mark in eight starts. The Pioneer ended the season at 7-0 with a 3.32 earned run average in ten starts and eleven total appearances. Wagoner was second on the team with 47 strikeouts in 59.2 innings pitched.
For the second year in a row, the Golden Eagles finished the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Division. After a first-round sweep of the Watertown Wizards and a thrilling three-game series win over the Amsterdam Mohawks, Glens Falls was awarded home-field advantage for the NYCBL Championship series. For the second year in a row, the Golden Eagles were the league's runner-up, losing Game 3 of the Finals 3-2 in ten innings.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
GLENS FALLS’ DAVIS NAMED NYCBL PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Courtesy of John McGraw, NYCBL Media Relations
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The New York Collegiate Baseball League announced today that Shane Davis (Canisius), of the Glens Falls Golden Eagles, has been chosen as the 2008 NYCBL Pitcher of the Year. Davis is the first Glens Falls player to receive a major individual award from the league since Terry Blunt was named the NYCBL Player of the Year in 2004.
Davis concluded the regular season with a 5-0 record and a 0.33 earned run average in 54 innings pitched. Davis allowed five runs (two earned) on 31 hits, walked eight and struck out 31. He pitched two complete games, yielded three extra-base hits and held opposing Eastern Division hitters to a .171 batting average.
The Belmont, Ont., Canada, native pitched the first nine-inning no-hitter in Glens Falls Golden Eagles franchise history on June 11 against the Bennington Bombers at East Field. Davis walked one, hit one and struck out five. He allowed just two base runners and retired 26 of the 28 batters he faced. At one point, Davis sat down 15-straight Bennington hitters. The Canadian southpaw pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout against Amsterdam on July 9 at East Field.
Davis started the season with 16-straight scoreless innings. He did not allow a run until the third inning of his third start. Even more impressive, Davis did not give up an earned run for 34-straight frames from June 16 through July 22. He also pitched a scoreless inning in the NYCBL All-Star Game on July 7 at Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds in Watertown, N.Y.
In the spring, Davis set a single-season school record at Canisius College with 12 victories. The lefty finished among the national freshman leaders in wins and ERA (2.42). He helped the Golden Griffs to a share of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular season championship. Davis, as a redshirt freshman, was named the MAAC Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year, the first player to ever garner both awards in the same season. He earned freshman All-America recognition from Baseball America, Pro-Line/NCBWA, Louisville Slugger, Rivals.com, and Ping! Baseball. Davis was also named Louisville Slugger third-team All-America, NCBWA third-team All-America and Ping! Baseball third-team All-America.
The New York Collegiate Baseball League, founded in 1978, is a summer wood-bat league sanctioned by the National Alliance for College Summer Baseball (NACSB) and partially funded by Major League Baseball. The league gives college players who have not yet signed a professional contract the opportunity to develop their skills at a high level of play, gain experience with wood bats and be evaluated by professional scouts. The NYCBL is located in scenic upstate New York and southern Vermont. For more information on the New York Collegiate Baseball League, please visit the league web site at http://www.nycbl.com
Sunday, August 10, 2008
RIVERBATS WIN NYCBL CHAMPIONSHIP IN 10 INNINGS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: John McGraw
Aug. 9, 2008 SaltCitySports@aol.com
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. – Championship Series’ Most Valuable Player Ryan Nokelby (Texas Lutheran) plated Jeff Abrams (Binghamton) with a 10th-inning sacrifice fly as the Brockport Riverbats edged the Glens Falls Golden Eagles, 3-2, in 10 innings to win the 2008 New York Collegiate Baseball League championship. The Riverbats won the best-of-three series, two games to one. The title is the first in the five-year history of the franchise.
Abrams singled off Glens Falls reliever Marc Damon (Pima CC) to start the tenth inning. David Ahonen (Ithaca) advanced Abrams to second with a sacrifice bunt. Kyle Harvey (Texas Lutheran) and Billy Herman (Slippery Rock) drew back-to-back one-out walks to load the bases. Anthony Giansanti (Siena) replaced Marc Damon to face Ryan Nokelby. Nokelby hit a long fly ball to left field that was caught by Jonathan White, but Abrams scored from third to break a 2-2 tie.
The Golden Eagles threatened in the bottom of the tenth but could not score. Todd Brazeal (South Florida) worked a lead-off walk. Brazeal moved to second on a Nick McCoy (San Diego) sacrifice bunt and then to third on a Jonathan Koscso (South Florida) ground out. Brockport’s Jeremy Macklin (Huston-Tillotson) forced Curt Courtwright to ground out to second to end the game.
Macklin pitched three innings of scoreless relief. He allowed one hit, walked one and struck out two. Brockport starter P.J. Saporito pitched seven strong innings. Saporito yielded two runs on four hits and struck out seven. Jeff Abrams had a game-high two hits for the Riverbats and Corey Taylor (Binghamton) clubbed an RBI double.
Marc Damon suffered the hard-luck loss. He allowed one run on one hit, walked two and struck out five. Damon retired the first nine batters he faced. Starter Scott DeNault (San Diego) pitched the first six innings. DeNault gave up two runs on three hits, walked three and struck out six. Game-two hero Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) was 2-for-4 with one RBI and Chad Stang (Midland) drove in one run.
The Golden Eagles struck first in the second inning. Jonathan Koscso belted a lead-off single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and went to third on a wild pitch. Chad Stang plated Koscso with a ground out to the right side to give the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead.
Brockport plated two runs in the sixth inning to gain a one-run edge. With runners on first and second and one out, Corey Taylor smashed a Scott DeNault offering to left-center field. Ryan Nokelby scored from second to tie the game. An error on the relay attempt by Glens Falls allowed Jesse Bosnik (St. Bonaventure) to score all the way from first.
Glens Falls knotted the score at two in the seventh inning. Scott Lawson (Miami, Fla.) ripped a lead-off single to left field and went to second on a sacrifice bunt. Jonathan White slapped a game-tying single to right field that scored Lawson from second.
Notes: After the game, the league handed out its’ postseason awards. Brockport pitcher Ryan O’Rourke (Merrimack) took home the Tom Kenney Golden Glove. He pitched a two-hit shutout over seven innings in Brockport’s victory in game one. Glens Falls outfielder Jonathan White grabbed the Bob Bellizzi Big Stick. He batted .455 in the series with five hits, four stolen bases and three RBI. Championship Series’ MVP Ryan Nokelby totaled six hits in the three-game series, scored three runs and drove in two.
R H E
Brockport 3 4 0
Glens Falls 2 5 1
P.J. Saporito, Jeremy Macklin (W, 1-0) (8) and Joe Pavone. Scott DeNault (San Diego), Marc Damon (L, 1-1) (7), Anthony Giansanti (10) and Nick McCoy.
Time: 2:25, Attendance: 550
Aug. 9, 2008 SaltCitySports@aol.com
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. – Championship Series’ Most Valuable Player Ryan Nokelby (Texas Lutheran) plated Jeff Abrams (Binghamton) with a 10th-inning sacrifice fly as the Brockport Riverbats edged the Glens Falls Golden Eagles, 3-2, in 10 innings to win the 2008 New York Collegiate Baseball League championship. The Riverbats won the best-of-three series, two games to one. The title is the first in the five-year history of the franchise.
Abrams singled off Glens Falls reliever Marc Damon (Pima CC) to start the tenth inning. David Ahonen (Ithaca) advanced Abrams to second with a sacrifice bunt. Kyle Harvey (Texas Lutheran) and Billy Herman (Slippery Rock) drew back-to-back one-out walks to load the bases. Anthony Giansanti (Siena) replaced Marc Damon to face Ryan Nokelby. Nokelby hit a long fly ball to left field that was caught by Jonathan White, but Abrams scored from third to break a 2-2 tie.
The Golden Eagles threatened in the bottom of the tenth but could not score. Todd Brazeal (South Florida) worked a lead-off walk. Brazeal moved to second on a Nick McCoy (San Diego) sacrifice bunt and then to third on a Jonathan Koscso (South Florida) ground out. Brockport’s Jeremy Macklin (Huston-Tillotson) forced Curt Courtwright to ground out to second to end the game.
Macklin pitched three innings of scoreless relief. He allowed one hit, walked one and struck out two. Brockport starter P.J. Saporito pitched seven strong innings. Saporito yielded two runs on four hits and struck out seven. Jeff Abrams had a game-high two hits for the Riverbats and Corey Taylor (Binghamton) clubbed an RBI double.
Marc Damon suffered the hard-luck loss. He allowed one run on one hit, walked two and struck out five. Damon retired the first nine batters he faced. Starter Scott DeNault (San Diego) pitched the first six innings. DeNault gave up two runs on three hits, walked three and struck out six. Game-two hero Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) was 2-for-4 with one RBI and Chad Stang (Midland) drove in one run.
The Golden Eagles struck first in the second inning. Jonathan Koscso belted a lead-off single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and went to third on a wild pitch. Chad Stang plated Koscso with a ground out to the right side to give the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead.
Brockport plated two runs in the sixth inning to gain a one-run edge. With runners on first and second and one out, Corey Taylor smashed a Scott DeNault offering to left-center field. Ryan Nokelby scored from second to tie the game. An error on the relay attempt by Glens Falls allowed Jesse Bosnik (St. Bonaventure) to score all the way from first.
Glens Falls knotted the score at two in the seventh inning. Scott Lawson (Miami, Fla.) ripped a lead-off single to left field and went to second on a sacrifice bunt. Jonathan White slapped a game-tying single to right field that scored Lawson from second.
Notes: After the game, the league handed out its’ postseason awards. Brockport pitcher Ryan O’Rourke (Merrimack) took home the Tom Kenney Golden Glove. He pitched a two-hit shutout over seven innings in Brockport’s victory in game one. Glens Falls outfielder Jonathan White grabbed the Bob Bellizzi Big Stick. He batted .455 in the series with five hits, four stolen bases and three RBI. Championship Series’ MVP Ryan Nokelby totaled six hits in the three-game series, scored three runs and drove in two.
R H E
Brockport 3 4 0
Glens Falls 2 5 1
P.J. Saporito, Jeremy Macklin (W, 1-0) (8) and Joe Pavone. Scott DeNault (San Diego), Marc Damon (L, 1-1) (7), Anthony Giansanti (10) and Nick McCoy.
Time: 2:25, Attendance: 550
Saturday, August 9, 2008
No Live Blog for Game 3
NYCBL Finals Game 3 Preview
Pitching probables
Brockport- PJ Saporito (NJIT)
Playoffs: 1-0, 1.23 ERA, 7.1 IP, 1 R, 5 K, 0 BB, .160 OBA
Regular season: 4-4, 2.75 ERA in nine starts, ten total appearances, 59.0 IP, 54 K, 8 BB, .279 OBA
Glens Falls- Scott Denault (San Diego)
Playoffs: 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 6 IP, 3 R, 3 K, 2 BB, .320 OBA
Regular season: 5-1, 2.89 ERA in nine starts, ten total appearances, 62.1 IP, 52 K, 24 BB, .220 OBA
Brockport- PJ Saporito (NJIT)
Playoffs: 1-0, 1.23 ERA, 7.1 IP, 1 R, 5 K, 0 BB, .160 OBA
Regular season: 4-4, 2.75 ERA in nine starts, ten total appearances, 59.0 IP, 54 K, 8 BB, .279 OBA
Glens Falls- Scott Denault (San Diego)
Playoffs: 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 6 IP, 3 R, 3 K, 2 BB, .320 OBA
Regular season: 5-1, 2.89 ERA in nine starts, ten total appearances, 62.1 IP, 52 K, 24 BB, .220 OBA
GOLDEN EAGLES GROUND RIVERBATS, FORCE GAME THREE IN NYCBL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: John McGraw
Aug. 8, 2008 SaltCitySports@aol.com
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. – Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored and Jack Wagoner (Sacred Heart) pitched six strong innings as the Glens Falls Golden Eagles defeated the Brockport Riverbats, 6-3, in game two of the New York Collegiate Baseball League Championship Series on Friday night at East Field. The Golden Eagles’ win ties the best-of-three series at one victory apiece. Game three will be played at East Field on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
White had a hand in four of the Golden Eagles’ six runs. With Glens Falls trailing, 1-0, in the second, White singled and advanced to third on back-to-back stolen bases. He scored to tie the game on a Todd Brazeal (South Florida) RBI double. White tripled home Scott Lawson (Miami, Fla.) in the third inning to break a 2-2 deadlock and then scored on a Brockport error. The Shelbyville, Tenn., native capped off the scoring for the Golden Eagles in the seventh with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Wagoner held Brockport to three runs (two earned) over the first six innings. He yielded five hits, walked four and struck out five in an 122-pitch outing. Will Hassett (Siena) worked a scoreless seventh and closer Anthony Giansanti (Siena) retired six-straight batters to earn his third save of the playoffs.
Brockport pitchers held Glens Falls to five hits. Logan Hull (Texas Lutheran) allowed four runs on five hits, walked five and struck out six. David Gagnon (Clark) allowed no hits in the seventh inning but gave up two runs. Eric Gibbs (Otterbein) hurled a scoreless ninth.
Ryan Nokelby (Texas Lutheran) paced the Brockport offense with three hits and one RBI. Richard Royal (South Carolina) went 2-for-4 with one RBI and Jesse Bosnik (St. Bonaventure) drove in one run.
The Riverbats opened the scoring in the second inning. Jared Hood (Texas-Tyler) started the frame with a base hit. Richard Royal brought Hood home with a two-out single to right field giving the ‘Bats a 1-0 lead. The Golden Eagles plated two runs in the bottom half of the frame to garner a one-run advantage. Todd Brazeal smashed a run-scoring double to right field and later scored on a Jonathan Koscso (South Florida) RBI single.
Brockport tied the game in the third inning with an unearned run. Kyle Harvey (Texas Lutheran) reached first on an error to start the frame. He moved to third on a double by Ryan Nokelby and scored on a ground out from Jesse Bosnik. The Golden Eagles took the lead for good with two runs in the bottom of the third. Ryan Nokelby cut Glens Falls’ lead to one in the fifth inning with a two-out single to left field that brought home Richard Royal.
Glens Falls scored a pair of insurance runs in the seventh. Luis Feliz (Rutgers) and Scott Lawson (Miami, Fla.) drew back-to-back walks to start the inning. Jose Valerio (San Diego) sacrificed the runners over to second and third. Feliz scored on a balk that was called on Brockport reliever David Gagnon while he was intentionally walking Jonathan White.
R H E
Brockport 3 7 2
Glens Falls 6 5 1
Logan Hull (L, 1-1), David Gagnon (7), Eric Gibbs (8) and Richard Royal. Jack Wagoner (W, 2-0), Will Hassett (7), Anthony Giansanti (S, 3) (8) and Nick McCoy.
Time: 2:45
Attendance: 835
Aug. 8, 2008 SaltCitySports@aol.com
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. – Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored and Jack Wagoner (Sacred Heart) pitched six strong innings as the Glens Falls Golden Eagles defeated the Brockport Riverbats, 6-3, in game two of the New York Collegiate Baseball League Championship Series on Friday night at East Field. The Golden Eagles’ win ties the best-of-three series at one victory apiece. Game three will be played at East Field on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
White had a hand in four of the Golden Eagles’ six runs. With Glens Falls trailing, 1-0, in the second, White singled and advanced to third on back-to-back stolen bases. He scored to tie the game on a Todd Brazeal (South Florida) RBI double. White tripled home Scott Lawson (Miami, Fla.) in the third inning to break a 2-2 deadlock and then scored on a Brockport error. The Shelbyville, Tenn., native capped off the scoring for the Golden Eagles in the seventh with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Wagoner held Brockport to three runs (two earned) over the first six innings. He yielded five hits, walked four and struck out five in an 122-pitch outing. Will Hassett (Siena) worked a scoreless seventh and closer Anthony Giansanti (Siena) retired six-straight batters to earn his third save of the playoffs.
Brockport pitchers held Glens Falls to five hits. Logan Hull (Texas Lutheran) allowed four runs on five hits, walked five and struck out six. David Gagnon (Clark) allowed no hits in the seventh inning but gave up two runs. Eric Gibbs (Otterbein) hurled a scoreless ninth.
Ryan Nokelby (Texas Lutheran) paced the Brockport offense with three hits and one RBI. Richard Royal (South Carolina) went 2-for-4 with one RBI and Jesse Bosnik (St. Bonaventure) drove in one run.
The Riverbats opened the scoring in the second inning. Jared Hood (Texas-Tyler) started the frame with a base hit. Richard Royal brought Hood home with a two-out single to right field giving the ‘Bats a 1-0 lead. The Golden Eagles plated two runs in the bottom half of the frame to garner a one-run advantage. Todd Brazeal smashed a run-scoring double to right field and later scored on a Jonathan Koscso (South Florida) RBI single.
Brockport tied the game in the third inning with an unearned run. Kyle Harvey (Texas Lutheran) reached first on an error to start the frame. He moved to third on a double by Ryan Nokelby and scored on a ground out from Jesse Bosnik. The Golden Eagles took the lead for good with two runs in the bottom of the third. Ryan Nokelby cut Glens Falls’ lead to one in the fifth inning with a two-out single to left field that brought home Richard Royal.
Glens Falls scored a pair of insurance runs in the seventh. Luis Feliz (Rutgers) and Scott Lawson (Miami, Fla.) drew back-to-back walks to start the inning. Jose Valerio (San Diego) sacrificed the runners over to second and third. Feliz scored on a balk that was called on Brockport reliever David Gagnon while he was intentionally walking Jonathan White.
R H E
Brockport 3 7 2
Glens Falls 6 5 1
Logan Hull (L, 1-1), David Gagnon (7), Eric Gibbs (8) and Richard Royal. Jack Wagoner (W, 2-0), Will Hassett (7), Anthony Giansanti (S, 3) (8) and Nick McCoy.
Time: 2:45
Attendance: 835
Friday, August 8, 2008
Golden Eagles 6, Riverbats 3 (Final)
Starting lineups
Glens Falls: stang rf/feliz cf/lawson 2b/valerio 1b/white lf/brazeal dh/mccoy c/koscso 3b/courtwright ss/wagoner p
Brockport: herman 3b/nokelby rf/bosnik ss/taylor dh/hood lf/abrams 2b/ahonen 1b/royal c/harvey cf/hull p
Top of the 1st Inning:
Billy Herman (Slippery Rock) walked.
Ryan Nokelby (Texas Lutheran) grounded out to second base unassisted to first, Herman out on the play.
Jesse Bosnik (St. Bonaventure) walked.
Corey Taylor (Binghamton) grounded out to third base.
Bottom of the 1st Inning:
Chad Stang (Midland) struck out swinging.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) walked.
Scott Lawson (Miami) grounded out to second base, Feliz advanced to second.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) struck out swinging.
Top of the 2nd Inning:
Jared Hood (Texas-Tyler) singled down the left-field line.
Jeff Abrams (Binghamton) grounded out to first base unassisted, bunt, Hood advanced to second.
David Ahonen (Ithaca) grounded out to shortstop, Hood advanced to third.
Richard Royal (South Carolina) singled to right field, Hood scored. Royal out at second catcher to second base, caught stealing.
Bottom of the 2nd Inning:
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) singled through the right side. White stole second. White stole second.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) doubled down the right-field line, White scored.
Nick McCoy (San Diego) out at first third base to second base, sacrifice, bunt, Brazeal advanced to third.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) singled through the right side, Brazeal scored.
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) grounded out to pitcher, Koscso advanced to second.
Chad Stang (Midland) grounded out to pitcher.
Top of the 3rd Inning:
Kyle Harvey (Texas Lutheran) reached on a throwing error by shortstop.
Billy Herman (Slippery Rock) flied out to left field.
Ryan Nokelby (Texas Lutheran) doubled to center, Harvey advanced to third.
Jesse Bosnik (St. Bonaventure) grounded out to second base, Harvey scored, Nokelby to third.
Corey Taylor (Binghamton) struck out swinging.
Bottom of the 3rd Inning:
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) struck out swinging.
Scott Lawson (Miami) walked.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) flied out to center field.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) tripled to center field, Lawson scored.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) reached on a throwing error by second base, advanced to second, White scored.
Nick McCoy (San Diego) walked.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) grounded out to shortstop.
Top of the 4th Inning:
Jared Hood (Texas-Tyler) struck out looking.
Jeff Abrams (Binghamton) struck out swinging.
David Ahonen (Ithaca) struck out swinging.
Bottom of the 4th Inning:
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) struck out swinging.
Chad Stang (Midland) singled, bunt. Stang out at second catcher to second base, caught stealing.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) struck out looking.
Top of the 5th Inning:
Richard Royal (South Carolina) doubled to right field.
Kyle Harvey (Texas Lutheran) grounded out to catcher, sacrifice, bunt, Harvey advanced to third.
Billy Herman (Slippery Rock) popped up to first base.
Ryan Nokelby (Texas Lutheran) singled to left field, Harvey scored.
Jesse Bosnik (St. Bonaventure) grounded out to second base.
Bottom of the 5th Inning:
Scott Lawson (Miami) walked. Lawson stole second.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) struck out swinging.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) grounded out to first base, unassisted, Lawson advanced to third.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) grounded out to third base.
Top of the 6th Inning:
Corey Taylor (Binghamton) flied out to right field.
Jared Hood (Texas-Tyler) walked.
Jeff Abrams (Binghamton) walked, Hood advanced to second.
David Ahonen (Ithaca) struck out looking. Hood advanced to third, Abrams advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Richard Royal (South Carolina)
grounded out to second base.
Bottom of the 6th Inning:
Nick McCoy (San Diego) walked.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) flied out to right field. McCoy advanced to second on a wild pitch (Courtwright).
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) grounded out first base to pitcher, McCoy advanced to third.
Chad Stang (Midland) grounded out to the pitcher.
Top of the 7th Inning:
Will Hassett (Siena) to pitcher for Jack Wagoner (Sacred Heart).
Kyle Harvey (Texas Lutheran) grounded out to pitcher.
Billy Herman (Slippery Rock) struck out swinging.
Ryan Nokelby (Texas Lutheran) singled to center field.
Jesse Bosnik (St. Bonaventure) doubled to right field, Nokelby advanced to third, out at home right field to first base to catcher.
Bottom of the 7th Inning:
David Gagnon (Clark) to pitcher for Logan Hull (Texas Lutheran).
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) walked. Feliz advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Scott Lawson (Miami) walked.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) out at first pitcher to second base, sacrifice, bunt, Feliz advanced to third, Lawson advanced to second. Feliz scored, Lawson advanced to third on a balk.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) flied out to center field, sacrifice, Lawson scored.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) popped up to second base.
Top of the 8th Inning:
Anthony Giansanti (Siena) to pitcher for Will Hassett (Siena).
Corey Taylor (Binghamton) flied out to right field.
Jared Hood (Texas-Tyler) flied out to right field.
Jeff Abrams (Binghamton) struck out swinging.
Bottom of the 8th Inning:
Eric Gibbs (Oberlin) to pitcher for David Gagnon (Clark).
Nick McCoy (San Diego) struck out swinging.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) walked. Koscso out at second catcher to second base, caught stealing.
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) reached on a throwing error by third base. Courtwright advanced to second on a passed ball.
Chad Stang (Midland) struck out swinging.
Top of the 9th Inning:
David Ahonen (Ithaca) flied out to left field.
Richard Royal (South Carolina) struck out looking.
Kyle Harvey (Texas Lutheran) grounded out to second base.
Glens Falls: stang rf/feliz cf/lawson 2b/valerio 1b/white lf/brazeal dh/mccoy c/koscso 3b/courtwright ss/wagoner p
Brockport: herman 3b/nokelby rf/bosnik ss/taylor dh/hood lf/abrams 2b/ahonen 1b/royal c/harvey cf/hull p
Top of the 1st Inning:
Billy Herman (Slippery Rock) walked.
Ryan Nokelby (Texas Lutheran) grounded out to second base unassisted to first, Herman out on the play.
Jesse Bosnik (St. Bonaventure) walked.
Corey Taylor (Binghamton) grounded out to third base.
Bottom of the 1st Inning:
Chad Stang (Midland) struck out swinging.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) walked.
Scott Lawson (Miami) grounded out to second base, Feliz advanced to second.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) struck out swinging.
Top of the 2nd Inning:
Jared Hood (Texas-Tyler) singled down the left-field line.
Jeff Abrams (Binghamton) grounded out to first base unassisted, bunt, Hood advanced to second.
David Ahonen (Ithaca) grounded out to shortstop, Hood advanced to third.
Richard Royal (South Carolina) singled to right field, Hood scored. Royal out at second catcher to second base, caught stealing.
Bottom of the 2nd Inning:
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) singled through the right side. White stole second. White stole second.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) doubled down the right-field line, White scored.
Nick McCoy (San Diego) out at first third base to second base, sacrifice, bunt, Brazeal advanced to third.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) singled through the right side, Brazeal scored.
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) grounded out to pitcher, Koscso advanced to second.
Chad Stang (Midland) grounded out to pitcher.
Top of the 3rd Inning:
Kyle Harvey (Texas Lutheran) reached on a throwing error by shortstop.
Billy Herman (Slippery Rock) flied out to left field.
Ryan Nokelby (Texas Lutheran) doubled to center, Harvey advanced to third.
Jesse Bosnik (St. Bonaventure) grounded out to second base, Harvey scored, Nokelby to third.
Corey Taylor (Binghamton) struck out swinging.
Bottom of the 3rd Inning:
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) struck out swinging.
Scott Lawson (Miami) walked.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) flied out to center field.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) tripled to center field, Lawson scored.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) reached on a throwing error by second base, advanced to second, White scored.
Nick McCoy (San Diego) walked.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) grounded out to shortstop.
Top of the 4th Inning:
Jared Hood (Texas-Tyler) struck out looking.
Jeff Abrams (Binghamton) struck out swinging.
David Ahonen (Ithaca) struck out swinging.
Bottom of the 4th Inning:
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) struck out swinging.
Chad Stang (Midland) singled, bunt. Stang out at second catcher to second base, caught stealing.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) struck out looking.
Top of the 5th Inning:
Richard Royal (South Carolina) doubled to right field.
Kyle Harvey (Texas Lutheran) grounded out to catcher, sacrifice, bunt, Harvey advanced to third.
Billy Herman (Slippery Rock) popped up to first base.
Ryan Nokelby (Texas Lutheran) singled to left field, Harvey scored.
Jesse Bosnik (St. Bonaventure) grounded out to second base.
Bottom of the 5th Inning:
Scott Lawson (Miami) walked. Lawson stole second.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) struck out swinging.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) grounded out to first base, unassisted, Lawson advanced to third.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) grounded out to third base.
Top of the 6th Inning:
Corey Taylor (Binghamton) flied out to right field.
Jared Hood (Texas-Tyler) walked.
Jeff Abrams (Binghamton) walked, Hood advanced to second.
David Ahonen (Ithaca) struck out looking. Hood advanced to third, Abrams advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Richard Royal (South Carolina)
grounded out to second base.
Bottom of the 6th Inning:
Nick McCoy (San Diego) walked.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) flied out to right field. McCoy advanced to second on a wild pitch (Courtwright).
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) grounded out first base to pitcher, McCoy advanced to third.
Chad Stang (Midland) grounded out to the pitcher.
Top of the 7th Inning:
Will Hassett (Siena) to pitcher for Jack Wagoner (Sacred Heart).
Kyle Harvey (Texas Lutheran) grounded out to pitcher.
Billy Herman (Slippery Rock) struck out swinging.
Ryan Nokelby (Texas Lutheran) singled to center field.
Jesse Bosnik (St. Bonaventure) doubled to right field, Nokelby advanced to third, out at home right field to first base to catcher.
Bottom of the 7th Inning:
David Gagnon (Clark) to pitcher for Logan Hull (Texas Lutheran).
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) walked. Feliz advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Scott Lawson (Miami) walked.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) out at first pitcher to second base, sacrifice, bunt, Feliz advanced to third, Lawson advanced to second. Feliz scored, Lawson advanced to third on a balk.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) flied out to center field, sacrifice, Lawson scored.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) popped up to second base.
Top of the 8th Inning:
Anthony Giansanti (Siena) to pitcher for Will Hassett (Siena).
Corey Taylor (Binghamton) flied out to right field.
Jared Hood (Texas-Tyler) flied out to right field.
Jeff Abrams (Binghamton) struck out swinging.
Bottom of the 8th Inning:
Eric Gibbs (Oberlin) to pitcher for David Gagnon (Clark).
Nick McCoy (San Diego) struck out swinging.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) walked. Koscso out at second catcher to second base, caught stealing.
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) reached on a throwing error by third base. Courtwright advanced to second on a passed ball.
Chad Stang (Midland) struck out swinging.
Top of the 9th Inning:
David Ahonen (Ithaca) flied out to left field.
Richard Royal (South Carolina) struck out looking.
Kyle Harvey (Texas Lutheran) grounded out to second base.
NYCBL Finals Game 2 Preview
Brockport Riverbats (1-0) at Glens Falls Golden Eagles (0-1)
East Field Stadium, 7 PM
Game 2 Pitching Probables
Brockport- Logan Hull (Texas Lutheran)
Playoffs: 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 7 IP, 1 R, 6 K, 4 BB, .095 OBA
Regular season: 4-2, 3.15 ERA in seven starts, eight total appearances, 45.2 IP, 36 K, 20 BB, .215 OBA
Glens Falls- Jack Wagoner (Sacred Heart)
Playoffs: 0-0, 1.29 ERA, 7 IP, 1 R, 2 K, 1 BB, .250 OBA
Regular season: 6-0, 3.66 ERA in eight starts, nine total appearances, 46.2 IP, 40 K, 15 BB, .198 OBA
After being two-hit in Game 1 in Brockport, the Golden Eagles look to recover and force a deciding Game 3 on Saturday at 1 PM. Glens Falls will likely start Jack Wagoner (Sacred Heart)--a six game winner in the regular season. The yellow birds should have a few bullpen arms at their disposal as well. Billy Barret (Illinois) has not pitched since July 29. Ricky Anaya (Florida Atlantic) pitched 3 1/3 innings against Amsterdam in Game 3 of the Division Finals but left with an apparent blister on his pitching hand. Marc Damon (Pima CC) pitched four innings in the Game 3 win against Amsterdam so his availability is questionable. Outfielder turned lights-out closer Anthony Giansanti tossed 1 2/3 innings in the Amsterdam game and should be good to go. Will Hassett (Siena) has pitched twice over the past four days and Jamie Storey (Midland) lasted 7 1/3 innings in Game 2 in Amsterdam and is not likely available.
East Field Stadium, 7 PM
Game 2 Pitching Probables
Brockport- Logan Hull (Texas Lutheran)
Playoffs: 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 7 IP, 1 R, 6 K, 4 BB, .095 OBA
Regular season: 4-2, 3.15 ERA in seven starts, eight total appearances, 45.2 IP, 36 K, 20 BB, .215 OBA
Glens Falls- Jack Wagoner (Sacred Heart)
Playoffs: 0-0, 1.29 ERA, 7 IP, 1 R, 2 K, 1 BB, .250 OBA
Regular season: 6-0, 3.66 ERA in eight starts, nine total appearances, 46.2 IP, 40 K, 15 BB, .198 OBA
After being two-hit in Game 1 in Brockport, the Golden Eagles look to recover and force a deciding Game 3 on Saturday at 1 PM. Glens Falls will likely start Jack Wagoner (Sacred Heart)--a six game winner in the regular season. The yellow birds should have a few bullpen arms at their disposal as well. Billy Barret (Illinois) has not pitched since July 29. Ricky Anaya (Florida Atlantic) pitched 3 1/3 innings against Amsterdam in Game 3 of the Division Finals but left with an apparent blister on his pitching hand. Marc Damon (Pima CC) pitched four innings in the Game 3 win against Amsterdam so his availability is questionable. Outfielder turned lights-out closer Anthony Giansanti tossed 1 2/3 innings in the Amsterdam game and should be good to go. Will Hassett (Siena) has pitched twice over the past four days and Jamie Storey (Midland) lasted 7 1/3 innings in Game 2 in Amsterdam and is not likely available.
RIVERBATS BLANK GOLDEN EAGLES TO BEGIN NYCBL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Courtesy of John McGraw, NYCBL Media Relations
Ryan O’Rourke held a potent Golden Eagles offense to two hits over seven innings. O’Rourke walked four and struck out three. He limited
Brockport took control of the game with a four-run seventh inning that was capped off by Jesse Bosnik’s three-run home run. Eric Guillen (USC Upstate) reached on an error to start the frame and scored on a Billy Herman (Slippery Rock) RBI single to give the Riverbats a 2-0 lead. Following a single by Ryan Nokelby (Texas Lutheran), Bosnik belted an 0-1 pitch by
Bosnik went 2-for-4 with three RBI, Ryan Nokelby had a team-high three hits and scored two runs and Billy Herman was 2-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored. Jared Hood (Texas-Tyler) drove in Brockport’s first run of the game in the first inning with an RBI single.
Shane Davis pitched seven innings for
R H E
Glens Falls 0 2 1
Brockport 5 12 1
Shane Davis (L, 1-1), Will Hassett (8) and Nick McCoy. Ryan O’Rourke (W, 2-0), Jeremy Macklin (8), Matt Branham (9) and Joe Pavone.
Time:
Thursday, August 7, 2008
NYCBL Finals Preview
New York Collegiate Baseball League Finals
Brockport Riverbats (27-15 regular season, 4-0 playoffs) at Glens Falls Golden Eagles (31-10 regular season, 4-1 playoffs)
Game 1 at Clark V. Whited Complex at the College of Brockport at 3 PM today
Game 2 at East Field Stadium 7 PM Friday
Game 3 at East Field Stadium 1 PM Saturday*
*if necessary
How they got here
Brockport: The Riverbats locked up the second seed in the west with their 27-15 record. After a two-game sweep of the Geneva Red Wings in the Western Division semi-finals, Brockport proceeded to push aside the top-seeded Hornell Dodgers. The Dodgers owned the best record in the league, one half-game ahead of the Golden Eagles. The Riverbats outscored the Red Wings 12-2 in the Division semi-finals and outscored the Dodgers 10-5. With the third day off in each series, Brockport should have their pitching at full strength. The Riverbats are holding opponents to a .171 batting average in the playoffs.
Glens Falls: The Golden Eagles are making their second-straight appearance in the NYCBL Finals. For the second year in a row, the yellow birds locked up homefield advantage but are going out west for Game 1. Games 2 and 3 (if necessary) will belong to East Field. Glens Falls earned their first postseason sweep in franchise history with a first-round victory of the fourth-seeded Watertown Wizards. The Golden Eagles found themselves in familiar territory in the Division finals with a series-deciding Game 3 at East Field. The second-seeded Amsterdam Mohawks held the advantage in the season series and the postseason series lived up to the hype. The Golden Eagles needed a furious comeback to win Game 1 and needed to hold a Mohawks comeback in Game 3 to wrap up the series. The three games were decided by a total of five runs.
Who's hot
Brockport:
Richard Royal, C (South Carolina) .400 average in two games, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 5 BB, 0 K, .700 OBP
Jesse Bosnik, IF (St. Bonaventure) .333 average in four games, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 4 BB, .474 OBP, 2 SB
Billy Herman, IF (Slippery Rock) .231 average in four games, 4 R, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 7 BB, .500 OBP
Glens Falls:
Scott Lawson, IF (Miami) .478 average in five games, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 0 K, .520 OBP, 8 SB
Luis Feliz, OF (Rutgers) .467 average in five games, 4 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, .800 SLG, 5 BB, .600 OBP, 3 SB
Jonathan White, OF (Vanderbilt) .333 average in five games, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 3 BB, .440 OBP, 4 SB
Pitching Probables
Brockport:
Game 1- Ryan O'Rourke (Merrimack)
Playoffs: 1-0, 1.12 ERA, 8 IP, 1 R, 8 K, 2 BB, .148 OBA
Regular season: 6-1, 2.61 ERA in eight starts, ten total appearances, 48.1 IP, 52 K, 12 BB, .217 OBA
Game 2- Logan Hull (Texas Lutheran)
Playoffs: 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 7 IP, 1 R, 6 K, 4 BB, .095 OBA
Regular season: 4-2, 3.15 ERA in seven starts, eight total appearances, 45.2 IP, 36 K, 20 BB, .215 OBA
Game 3- PJ Saporito (NJIT)
Playoffs: 1-0, 1.23 ERA, 7.1 IP, 1 R, 5 K, 0 BB, .160 OBA
Regular season: 4-4, 2.75 ERA in nine starts, ten total appearances, 59.0 IP, 54 K, 8 BB, .279 OBA
Glens Falls:
Game 1- Shane Davis (Canisius)
Playoffs: 1-0, 3.38 ERA, 8 IP, 3 R, 4 K, 0 BB, .250 OBA
Regular season: 5-0, 0.33 ERA, 54.0 IP in eight starts, two complete games, 31 K, 8 BB, .171 OBA
Game 2- Jack Wagoner (Sacred Heart)
Playoffs: 0-0, 1.29 ERA, 7 IP, 1 R, 2 K, 1 BB, .250 OBA
Regular season: 6-0, 3.66 ERA in eight starts, nine total appearances, 46.2 IP, 40 K, 15 BB, .198 OBA
Game 3- Scott Denault (San Diego)
Playoffs: 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 6 IP, 3 R, 3 K, 2 BB, .320 OBA
Regular season: 5-1, 2.89 ERA in nine starts, ten total appearances, 62.1 IP, 52 K, 24 BB, .220 OBA
Projected lineup and playoff statistics
Brockport:
3B Billy Herman (Slippery Rock) .231, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 7 BB, .500 OBP
RF Ryan Nokelby (Texas Lutheran) .176, 3 RBI, .222 OBP
SS Jesse Bosnik (St. Bonaventure) .333, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 4 BB, .474 OBP, 2 SB
DH Corey Taylor (Binghamton) .176, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .211 OBP
LF Jared Hood (Texas-Tyler) .286, 2 RBI, 4 BB, .444 OBP
C Joe Pavone (Connecticut) .167, 2 BB, .444 OBP
2B Jeff Abrams (Binghamton) .300, 1 2B, 2 RBI, .462 OBP
1B Andrew Dewing (Eastern Conn. St.) .000, 1 RBI, .143 OBP
CF Kyle Harvey (Texas Lutheran) .250, 1 RBI, .333 OBP, 2 SB
P Ryan O'Rourke (Merrimack) 1-0, 1.12 ERA, 8 IP, 1 R, 8 K, 2 BB, .148 OBA
Glens Falls:
RF Chad Stang (Midland) .304, 3 2B, 4 RBI, .360 OBP
CF Luis Feliz (Rutgers) .467, 2 2B, 1 HR, .800 SLG, 5 BB, .600 OBP, 3 SB
2B Scott Lawson (Miami) .478, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 0 K, .520 OBP, 8 SB
1B Jose Valerio (San Diego) .261, 2 2B, 4 RBI, .320 OBP, 1 SB
LF Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) .333, 1 2B, 3 RBI, .440 OBP, 4 SB
DH Todd Brazeal (South Florida) .190, 1 HR, 3 BB, .292 OBP, 2 SB
C Nick McCoy (San Diego) .308, 2 2B, 2 RBI, .375 OBP
3B Jonathan Koscso (South Florida) .154, 1 RBI, .267 OBP
SS Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) .071, 6 BB, .350 OBP
P Shane Davis (Canisius) 1-0, 3.38 ERA, 8 IP, 3 R, 4 K, 0 BB, .250 OBA
Miscellaneous Notes
The Golden Eagles hold a 18-4 advantage in playoff steals, an average of one stolen base per game for Brockport and over three per game for Glens Falls...Brockport has held opponents to a league-leading .171 batting average in the postseason...Glens Falls is hitting at a league-leading .301 clip in the postseason...The game is being held at the College of Brockport's baseball field (at 3 PM because there are no lights), home to the Golden Eagles (who are also green and gold)...The Golden Eagles are 0-2 all-time in NYCBL Finals play...Glens Falls is 3-3 all-time on the road in the postseason and 2-4 all-time in series-opening games
Brockport Riverbats (27-15 regular season, 4-0 playoffs) at Glens Falls Golden Eagles (31-10 regular season, 4-1 playoffs)
Game 1 at Clark V. Whited Complex at the College of Brockport at 3 PM today
Game 2 at East Field Stadium 7 PM Friday
Game 3 at East Field Stadium 1 PM Saturday*
*if necessary
How they got here
Brockport: The Riverbats locked up the second seed in the west with their 27-15 record. After a two-game sweep of the Geneva Red Wings in the Western Division semi-finals, Brockport proceeded to push aside the top-seeded Hornell Dodgers. The Dodgers owned the best record in the league, one half-game ahead of the Golden Eagles. The Riverbats outscored the Red Wings 12-2 in the Division semi-finals and outscored the Dodgers 10-5. With the third day off in each series, Brockport should have their pitching at full strength. The Riverbats are holding opponents to a .171 batting average in the playoffs.
Glens Falls: The Golden Eagles are making their second-straight appearance in the NYCBL Finals. For the second year in a row, the yellow birds locked up homefield advantage but are going out west for Game 1. Games 2 and 3 (if necessary) will belong to East Field. Glens Falls earned their first postseason sweep in franchise history with a first-round victory of the fourth-seeded Watertown Wizards. The Golden Eagles found themselves in familiar territory in the Division finals with a series-deciding Game 3 at East Field. The second-seeded Amsterdam Mohawks held the advantage in the season series and the postseason series lived up to the hype. The Golden Eagles needed a furious comeback to win Game 1 and needed to hold a Mohawks comeback in Game 3 to wrap up the series. The three games were decided by a total of five runs.
Who's hot
Brockport:
Richard Royal, C (South Carolina) .400 average in two games, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 5 BB, 0 K, .700 OBP
Jesse Bosnik, IF (St. Bonaventure) .333 average in four games, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 4 BB, .474 OBP, 2 SB
Billy Herman, IF (Slippery Rock) .231 average in four games, 4 R, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 7 BB, .500 OBP
Glens Falls:
Scott Lawson, IF (Miami) .478 average in five games, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 0 K, .520 OBP, 8 SB
Luis Feliz, OF (Rutgers) .467 average in five games, 4 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, .800 SLG, 5 BB, .600 OBP, 3 SB
Jonathan White, OF (Vanderbilt) .333 average in five games, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 3 BB, .440 OBP, 4 SB
Pitching Probables
Brockport:
Game 1- Ryan O'Rourke (Merrimack)
Playoffs: 1-0, 1.12 ERA, 8 IP, 1 R, 8 K, 2 BB, .148 OBA
Regular season: 6-1, 2.61 ERA in eight starts, ten total appearances, 48.1 IP, 52 K, 12 BB, .217 OBA
Game 2- Logan Hull (Texas Lutheran)
Playoffs: 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 7 IP, 1 R, 6 K, 4 BB, .095 OBA
Regular season: 4-2, 3.15 ERA in seven starts, eight total appearances, 45.2 IP, 36 K, 20 BB, .215 OBA
Game 3- PJ Saporito (NJIT)
Playoffs: 1-0, 1.23 ERA, 7.1 IP, 1 R, 5 K, 0 BB, .160 OBA
Regular season: 4-4, 2.75 ERA in nine starts, ten total appearances, 59.0 IP, 54 K, 8 BB, .279 OBA
Glens Falls:
Game 1- Shane Davis (Canisius)
Playoffs: 1-0, 3.38 ERA, 8 IP, 3 R, 4 K, 0 BB, .250 OBA
Regular season: 5-0, 0.33 ERA, 54.0 IP in eight starts, two complete games, 31 K, 8 BB, .171 OBA
Game 2- Jack Wagoner (Sacred Heart)
Playoffs: 0-0, 1.29 ERA, 7 IP, 1 R, 2 K, 1 BB, .250 OBA
Regular season: 6-0, 3.66 ERA in eight starts, nine total appearances, 46.2 IP, 40 K, 15 BB, .198 OBA
Game 3- Scott Denault (San Diego)
Playoffs: 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 6 IP, 3 R, 3 K, 2 BB, .320 OBA
Regular season: 5-1, 2.89 ERA in nine starts, ten total appearances, 62.1 IP, 52 K, 24 BB, .220 OBA
Projected lineup and playoff statistics
Brockport:
3B Billy Herman (Slippery Rock) .231, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 7 BB, .500 OBP
RF Ryan Nokelby (Texas Lutheran) .176, 3 RBI, .222 OBP
SS Jesse Bosnik (St. Bonaventure) .333, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 4 BB, .474 OBP, 2 SB
DH Corey Taylor (Binghamton) .176, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .211 OBP
LF Jared Hood (Texas-Tyler) .286, 2 RBI, 4 BB, .444 OBP
C Joe Pavone (Connecticut) .167, 2 BB, .444 OBP
2B Jeff Abrams (Binghamton) .300, 1 2B, 2 RBI, .462 OBP
1B Andrew Dewing (Eastern Conn. St.) .000, 1 RBI, .143 OBP
CF Kyle Harvey (Texas Lutheran) .250, 1 RBI, .333 OBP, 2 SB
P Ryan O'Rourke (Merrimack) 1-0, 1.12 ERA, 8 IP, 1 R, 8 K, 2 BB, .148 OBA
Glens Falls:
RF Chad Stang (Midland) .304, 3 2B, 4 RBI, .360 OBP
CF Luis Feliz (Rutgers) .467, 2 2B, 1 HR, .800 SLG, 5 BB, .600 OBP, 3 SB
2B Scott Lawson (Miami) .478, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 0 K, .520 OBP, 8 SB
1B Jose Valerio (San Diego) .261, 2 2B, 4 RBI, .320 OBP, 1 SB
LF Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) .333, 1 2B, 3 RBI, .440 OBP, 4 SB
DH Todd Brazeal (South Florida) .190, 1 HR, 3 BB, .292 OBP, 2 SB
C Nick McCoy (San Diego) .308, 2 2B, 2 RBI, .375 OBP
3B Jonathan Koscso (South Florida) .154, 1 RBI, .267 OBP
SS Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) .071, 6 BB, .350 OBP
P Shane Davis (Canisius) 1-0, 3.38 ERA, 8 IP, 3 R, 4 K, 0 BB, .250 OBA
Miscellaneous Notes
The Golden Eagles hold a 18-4 advantage in playoff steals, an average of one stolen base per game for Brockport and over three per game for Glens Falls...Brockport has held opponents to a league-leading .171 batting average in the postseason...Glens Falls is hitting at a league-leading .301 clip in the postseason...The game is being held at the College of Brockport's baseball field (at 3 PM because there are no lights), home to the Golden Eagles (who are also green and gold)...The Golden Eagles are 0-2 all-time in NYCBL Finals play...Glens Falls is 3-3 all-time on the road in the postseason and 2-4 all-time in series-opening games
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Golden Eagles 6, Mohawks 5 (Final)
Starting lineups:
Golden Eagles: stang rf/feliz cf/lawson 2b/valerio 1b/white lf/brazeal dh/mccoy c/koscso 3b/courtwright 6/anaya 1
Mohawks: bisson ss/pacione 2b/onorati cf/spina 3b/clowe c/rowland rf/reine lf/korus 1b/banks dh/darnell p
Top of the 1st Inning:
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) struck out swinging.
Ricky Pacione (Marist) walked.
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) grounded out to third base, Pacione advanced to second. Pacione advanced to third on a wild pitch (Spina).
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) flied out to right field.
Bottom of the 1st Inning:
Chad Stand (Midland) struck out swinging.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) walked.
Scott Lawson (Miami) singled to center field, Feliz advanced to second. Feliz stole third, Lawson stole second.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) grounded out to third base.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) struck out swinging.
Top of the 2nd Inning:
Ben Clowe (Stanford) walked.
Brendan Rowland (Albany) reached on a fielder's choice, Clowe out at second second base to shortstop.
Cody Reine (LSU) struck out swinging, Rowland stole second. Rowland stole third (Korus).
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) flied out to center field.
Bottom of the 2nd Inning:
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) singled to left field, out at second left field to second base.
Nick McCoy (San Diego) flied out to left.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) struck out swinging.
Top of the 3rd Inning:
Jim Banks (Albany) popped up to first base.
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) grounded out to first base, unassisted.
Ricky Pacione (Marist) popped up to second base.
Bottom of the 3rd Inning:
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) flied out to center field.
Chad Stang (Midland) struck out looking.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) homered down the right-field line.
Scott Lawson (Miami) singled to first base.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) doubled down the left-field line, Lawson advanced to third.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) singled to second base, Lawson scored, Valerio advanced to third.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) flied out to right field.
Top of the 4th Inning:
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) singled to left field.
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) homered to center field, Onorati scored.
Ben Clowe (Stanford) doubled to left field.
Brendan Rowland (Albany) struck out looking. Clowe advanced to third on a passed ball (Reine).
Cody Reine (LSU) doubled to right-center, Clowe scored.
Marc Damon (Pima CC) to pitcher for Ricky Anaya (Florida Atlantic).
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) flied out to left field.
Jim Banks (Albany) struck out looking.
Bottom of the 4th Inning:
Nick McCoy (San Diego) grounded out to shortstop.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) flied out to center field.
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) struck out swinging.
Top of the 5th Inning:
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) walked.
Ricky Pacione (Marist) singled up the middle, Bisson advanced to third.
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) struck out swinging.
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) fouled out to catcher, Pacione advanced to second.
Ben Clowe (Stanford) flied out to center field.
Bottom of the 5th Inning:
Chad Stang (Midland) walked.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) reached on a throwing error by pitcher, sacrifice bunt, Stang advanced to second.
Scott Lawson (Miami) singled, bunt, Stang advanced to third, Feliz advanced to second.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) grounded into double play second base to shortstop to first base, Lawson out on the play, Stang scored, Feliz advanced to third.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) walked.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) struck out swinging.
Top of the 6th Inning:
Brendan Rowland (Albany) struck out swinging.
Cody Reine (LSU) singled through the right side.
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) grounded into double play third base to second base to first base, Reine out on the play.
Bottom of the 6th Inning:
Nick McCoy (San Diego) walked.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) struck out, bunt.
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) walked, McCoy advanced to second.
Chad Stang (Midland) doubled to right field, advanced to third on the throw, McCoy scored, Courtwright out at home right field to second base to catcher.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) walked.
Sean Gregory (Albany) to pitcher for Logan Darnell (Kentucky).
Scott Lawson (Miami) singled to left field, Stang scored, Feliz advanced to second.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) singled to center field, Feliz scored, Lawson advanced to third.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) walked, Valerio advanced to second.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) flied out to left field.
Top of the 7th Inning:
Jim Banks (Albany) tripled to right field.
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) fouled out to third base.
Ricky Pacione (Marist) flied into double play right field to catcher, Banks out on the play.
Bottom of the 7th Inning:
Nick McCoy (San Diego) singled to right field.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) grounded out to third base, sacrifice, bunt, McCoy advanced to second.
Josh Hammonds (Radford) to pitcher for Sean Gregory (Albany.
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) walked.
Chad Stang (Midland) struck out swinging.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) flied out to right field.
Top of the 8th Inning:
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) grounded out to shortstop.
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) hit by pitch.
Ben Clowe (Stanford) walked, Spina advanced to second.
Brendan Rowland (Albany) singled through the right side, Spina scored, Clowe advanced to third.
Anthony Giansanti (Siena) to pitcher for Marc Damon (Pima CC).
Cody Reine (LSU) struck out swinging.
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) singled through the right side, Clowe scored, Rowland advanced to second.
Jim Banks (Albany) grounded out to shortstop.
Bottom of the 8th Inning:
Scott Lawson (Miami) grounded out to pitcher.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) struck out swinging.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) singled to third base. White stole second.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) grounded out first base to pitcher.
Top of the 9th Inning:
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) grounded out to second base.
Ricky Pacione (Marist) struck out looking.
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) struck out looking.
Golden Eagles: stang rf/feliz cf/lawson 2b/valerio 1b/white lf/brazeal dh/mccoy c/koscso 3b/courtwright 6/anaya 1
Mohawks: bisson ss/pacione 2b/onorati cf/spina 3b/clowe c/rowland rf/reine lf/korus 1b/banks dh/darnell p
Top of the 1st Inning:
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) struck out swinging.
Ricky Pacione (Marist) walked.
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) grounded out to third base, Pacione advanced to second. Pacione advanced to third on a wild pitch (Spina).
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) flied out to right field.
Bottom of the 1st Inning:
Chad Stand (Midland) struck out swinging.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) walked.
Scott Lawson (Miami) singled to center field, Feliz advanced to second. Feliz stole third, Lawson stole second.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) grounded out to third base.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) struck out swinging.
Top of the 2nd Inning:
Ben Clowe (Stanford) walked.
Brendan Rowland (Albany) reached on a fielder's choice, Clowe out at second second base to shortstop.
Cody Reine (LSU) struck out swinging, Rowland stole second. Rowland stole third (Korus).
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) flied out to center field.
Bottom of the 2nd Inning:
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) singled to left field, out at second left field to second base.
Nick McCoy (San Diego) flied out to left.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) struck out swinging.
Top of the 3rd Inning:
Jim Banks (Albany) popped up to first base.
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) grounded out to first base, unassisted.
Ricky Pacione (Marist) popped up to second base.
Bottom of the 3rd Inning:
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) flied out to center field.
Chad Stang (Midland) struck out looking.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) homered down the right-field line.
Scott Lawson (Miami) singled to first base.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) doubled down the left-field line, Lawson advanced to third.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) singled to second base, Lawson scored, Valerio advanced to third.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) flied out to right field.
Top of the 4th Inning:
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) singled to left field.
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) homered to center field, Onorati scored.
Ben Clowe (Stanford) doubled to left field.
Brendan Rowland (Albany) struck out looking. Clowe advanced to third on a passed ball (Reine).
Cody Reine (LSU) doubled to right-center, Clowe scored.
Marc Damon (Pima CC) to pitcher for Ricky Anaya (Florida Atlantic).
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) flied out to left field.
Jim Banks (Albany) struck out looking.
Bottom of the 4th Inning:
Nick McCoy (San Diego) grounded out to shortstop.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) flied out to center field.
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) struck out swinging.
Top of the 5th Inning:
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) walked.
Ricky Pacione (Marist) singled up the middle, Bisson advanced to third.
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) struck out swinging.
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) fouled out to catcher, Pacione advanced to second.
Ben Clowe (Stanford) flied out to center field.
Bottom of the 5th Inning:
Chad Stang (Midland) walked.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) reached on a throwing error by pitcher, sacrifice bunt, Stang advanced to second.
Scott Lawson (Miami) singled, bunt, Stang advanced to third, Feliz advanced to second.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) grounded into double play second base to shortstop to first base, Lawson out on the play, Stang scored, Feliz advanced to third.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) walked.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) struck out swinging.
Top of the 6th Inning:
Brendan Rowland (Albany) struck out swinging.
Cody Reine (LSU) singled through the right side.
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) grounded into double play third base to second base to first base, Reine out on the play.
Bottom of the 6th Inning:
Nick McCoy (San Diego) walked.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) struck out, bunt.
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) walked, McCoy advanced to second.
Chad Stang (Midland) doubled to right field, advanced to third on the throw, McCoy scored, Courtwright out at home right field to second base to catcher.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) walked.
Sean Gregory (Albany) to pitcher for Logan Darnell (Kentucky).
Scott Lawson (Miami) singled to left field, Stang scored, Feliz advanced to second.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) singled to center field, Feliz scored, Lawson advanced to third.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) walked, Valerio advanced to second.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) flied out to left field.
Top of the 7th Inning:
Jim Banks (Albany) tripled to right field.
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) fouled out to third base.
Ricky Pacione (Marist) flied into double play right field to catcher, Banks out on the play.
Bottom of the 7th Inning:
Nick McCoy (San Diego) singled to right field.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) grounded out to third base, sacrifice, bunt, McCoy advanced to second.
Josh Hammonds (Radford) to pitcher for Sean Gregory (Albany.
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) walked.
Chad Stang (Midland) struck out swinging.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) flied out to right field.
Top of the 8th Inning:
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) grounded out to shortstop.
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) hit by pitch.
Ben Clowe (Stanford) walked, Spina advanced to second.
Brendan Rowland (Albany) singled through the right side, Spina scored, Clowe advanced to third.
Anthony Giansanti (Siena) to pitcher for Marc Damon (Pima CC).
Cody Reine (LSU) struck out swinging.
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) singled through the right side, Clowe scored, Rowland advanced to second.
Jim Banks (Albany) grounded out to shortstop.
Bottom of the 8th Inning:
Scott Lawson (Miami) grounded out to pitcher.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) struck out swinging.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) singled to third base. White stole second.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) grounded out first base to pitcher.
Top of the 9th Inning:
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) grounded out to second base.
Ricky Pacione (Marist) struck out looking.
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) struck out looking.
Eastern Division Finals Game 3 Preview
Amsterdam Mohawks (1-1) at Glens Falls Golden Eagles (1-1)
Glens Falls, NY - East Field Stadium
Season Series: 5-4 Mohawks
Probable Starters
Amsterdam - Logan Darnell (Kentucky)
Regular Season: 3-0, 1.82 ERA in six starts, eight total appearances, 34.2 IP, 33 K, 19 BB, .230 OBA
Postseason: 1-0, 2.57 ERA in one start, 7 IP, 5 K, 2 BB, .240 OBA
Glens Falls- Shane Davis (Canisius)
Regular Season: 5-0, 0.33 ERA in eight starts, two complete games, one no-hitter, 54 IP, 31 K, 8 BB, .171 OBA
Postseason: 1-0, 3.38 ERA in one start, 8 IP, 4 K, 0 BB, .250 OBA
Who's Hot
Amsterdam-
Mark Onorati (Manhattan): .375 average in four games, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBIs, 2 SB (has not struck out)
Cody Reine (LSU): .364 average in four games, 1 3B, 2 RBIs, 2 BB, 2 HBP, .533 OBP
Mike Spina (Cincinnati): .333 average in four games, 1 2B, 1 HR
Glens Falls-
Luis Feliz (Rutgers): .462 average in four games, 2 2B, .615 SLG%, 3 BB, .563 OBP, 2 SB
Scott Lawson (Miami): .389 average in four games, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 7 SB (has not struck out)
Chad Stang (Midland): .316 average in four games, 2 2B, 3 RBIs
Notes:
- The Golden Eagles are 2-0 all-time in series-deciding game threes.
- Davis has earned the win in each of his last five starts.
- The Golden Eagles are 3-1 at East Field against the Mohawks this season, as opposed to 1-4 at Shuttleworth Park.
- Glens Falls has committed 15 errors in games against the Mohawks, tops against any opponent.
- Stang is hitting a team-leading .361 at home this season, where the yellow birds are 19-3 including the playoffs. The .361 batting average includes a .500 mark at home during the playoffs.
- Lawson leads the team with a .667 average at home during the postseason. He has also stolen five bases at the friendly confines of East Field, including four in Game 1 of the Eastern Division Finals against Amsterdam.
Glens Falls, NY - East Field Stadium
Season Series: 5-4 Mohawks
Probable Starters
Amsterdam - Logan Darnell (Kentucky)
Regular Season: 3-0, 1.82 ERA in six starts, eight total appearances, 34.2 IP, 33 K, 19 BB, .230 OBA
Postseason: 1-0, 2.57 ERA in one start, 7 IP, 5 K, 2 BB, .240 OBA
Glens Falls- Shane Davis (Canisius)
Regular Season: 5-0, 0.33 ERA in eight starts, two complete games, one no-hitter, 54 IP, 31 K, 8 BB, .171 OBA
Postseason: 1-0, 3.38 ERA in one start, 8 IP, 4 K, 0 BB, .250 OBA
Who's Hot
Amsterdam-
Mark Onorati (Manhattan): .375 average in four games, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBIs, 2 SB (has not struck out)
Cody Reine (LSU): .364 average in four games, 1 3B, 2 RBIs, 2 BB, 2 HBP, .533 OBP
Mike Spina (Cincinnati): .333 average in four games, 1 2B, 1 HR
Glens Falls-
Luis Feliz (Rutgers): .462 average in four games, 2 2B, .615 SLG%, 3 BB, .563 OBP, 2 SB
Scott Lawson (Miami): .389 average in four games, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 7 SB (has not struck out)
Chad Stang (Midland): .316 average in four games, 2 2B, 3 RBIs
Notes:
- The Golden Eagles are 2-0 all-time in series-deciding game threes.
- Davis has earned the win in each of his last five starts.
- The Golden Eagles are 3-1 at East Field against the Mohawks this season, as opposed to 1-4 at Shuttleworth Park.
- Glens Falls has committed 15 errors in games against the Mohawks, tops against any opponent.
- Stang is hitting a team-leading .361 at home this season, where the yellow birds are 19-3 including the playoffs. The .361 batting average includes a .500 mark at home during the playoffs.
- Lawson leads the team with a .667 average at home during the postseason. He has also stolen five bases at the friendly confines of East Field, including four in Game 1 of the Eastern Division Finals against Amsterdam.
Back to East Field
Spa Catholic grad Brendan Rowland (Albany) cranked two homers and Mark Onorati (Manhattan) added another as the second-seeded Amsterdam Mohawks took game two of the Eastern Division Finals 5-2 at Shuttleworth Park. Onorati finished the game with three hits and two runs batted in while Rowland added two hits and three runs batted in.
Amsterdam batters besides Rowland and Onorati went a mere 2-for-23 against Golden Eagles pitching.
Jamie Storey (Midland) overcame a three-run first inning to pitch four scoreless innings before allowing another two runs over the final three frames but wasn't helped by a punch-less Golden Eagles offense. For the second day in a row, Glens Falls seemed to have trouble in clutch situations and scoring opportunities. Unfortunately for the yellow birds, tonight's game would not include a thrilling comeback.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) had two hits for Glens Falls, while Nick McCoy (San Diego) and Jon Koscso (South Florida) tallied a run batted in each.
Golden Eagles ace Shane Davis (Canisius) should be ready to pitch for Game 3. Glens Falls would have home-field advantage in the NYCBL Finals after a Brockport Western Division-sweep of Hornell. Hornell had the best record in the league at 32-10, a half-game better than the Golden Eagles.
Game 3 of the Division Finals will be Wednesday, August 6 at 7PM at East Field.
Amsterdam batters besides Rowland and Onorati went a mere 2-for-23 against Golden Eagles pitching.
Jamie Storey (Midland) overcame a three-run first inning to pitch four scoreless innings before allowing another two runs over the final three frames but wasn't helped by a punch-less Golden Eagles offense. For the second day in a row, Glens Falls seemed to have trouble in clutch situations and scoring opportunities. Unfortunately for the yellow birds, tonight's game would not include a thrilling comeback.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) had two hits for Glens Falls, while Nick McCoy (San Diego) and Jon Koscso (South Florida) tallied a run batted in each.
Golden Eagles ace Shane Davis (Canisius) should be ready to pitch for Game 3. Glens Falls would have home-field advantage in the NYCBL Finals after a Brockport Western Division-sweep of Hornell. Hornell had the best record in the league at 32-10, a half-game better than the Golden Eagles.
Game 3 of the Division Finals will be Wednesday, August 6 at 7PM at East Field.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Valerio, Giansanti Top Mohawks in Thrilling Game 1 Comeback
Jose Valerio's (San Diego) two-run single capped a four-run eighth inning for the Golden Eagles as they handed a fresh one-run lead to new closer Anthony Giansanti (Siena). As he has been in nearly every appearance this season, Giansanti was lights out; allowing a one-out double before striking out the final two Amsterdam batters swinging (his third strikeout of the inning).
Valerio was one of four Glens Falls players with multi-hit games. Valerio and Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) each had two hits, while Luis Feliz (Rutgers) went 3-for-3 and Scott Lawson (Miami) finished 4-for-5. Valerio contributed three runs batted in, while Lawson and Chad Stang (Midland) added one apiece.
Golden Eagles starter Scott Denault (San Diego) tossed six innings and allowed only three runs, but failed to get run support and left the game down 3-0. Ricky Anaya (Florida Atlantic) allowed one run in two innings of relief and was rewarded the win after Glens Falls scored five runs between the seventh and eighth innings. Giansanti pitched the ninth for his first save of the postseason.
Game 2 of the Eastern Division Finals is set for tomorrow night at 7PM at Shuttleworth Park in Amsterdam. The Mohawks will look to defend their 3-1 home record against Glens Falls.
Game Notes:
- In each of the first five innings, the Golden Eagles stranded a runner on third base to end the inning. The inability to drive in runs is a concern against an offensively-blessed team such as Amsterdam. While the pitching is still mostly solid, the Golden Eagles offense is going to have to pick up the slack after the departure of two of their offensive leaders.
- The Game 1 win can be attributed, in large part, to clutch hitting. While Glens Falls had numerous baserunners in the first six innings, they were all left stranded, most of them a mere 90 feet from joining the fun on the scoreboard. In the later innings, the Golden Eagles bats came alive and finished the game 6-for-13 from the plate with two outs. Compared to the Tribe's 1-for-9 performance with two gone, the yellow birds were unstoppable.
Valerio was one of four Glens Falls players with multi-hit games. Valerio and Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) each had two hits, while Luis Feliz (Rutgers) went 3-for-3 and Scott Lawson (Miami) finished 4-for-5. Valerio contributed three runs batted in, while Lawson and Chad Stang (Midland) added one apiece.
Golden Eagles starter Scott Denault (San Diego) tossed six innings and allowed only three runs, but failed to get run support and left the game down 3-0. Ricky Anaya (Florida Atlantic) allowed one run in two innings of relief and was rewarded the win after Glens Falls scored five runs between the seventh and eighth innings. Giansanti pitched the ninth for his first save of the postseason.
Game 2 of the Eastern Division Finals is set for tomorrow night at 7PM at Shuttleworth Park in Amsterdam. The Mohawks will look to defend their 3-1 home record against Glens Falls.
Game Notes:
- In each of the first five innings, the Golden Eagles stranded a runner on third base to end the inning. The inability to drive in runs is a concern against an offensively-blessed team such as Amsterdam. While the pitching is still mostly solid, the Golden Eagles offense is going to have to pick up the slack after the departure of two of their offensive leaders.
- The Game 1 win can be attributed, in large part, to clutch hitting. While Glens Falls had numerous baserunners in the first six innings, they were all left stranded, most of them a mere 90 feet from joining the fun on the scoreboard. In the later innings, the Golden Eagles bats came alive and finished the game 6-for-13 from the plate with two outs. Compared to the Tribe's 1-for-9 performance with two gone, the yellow birds were unstoppable.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Golden Eagles 5, Mohawks 4 (Final)
Starting lineups:
Glens Falls: stang rf/lawson 2b/white lf/valerio 1b/brazeal dh/feliz cf/mccoy c/koscso 3b/courtwright ss/denault p
Amsterdam: bisson ss/onorati cf/korus 1b/spina 3b/clowe c/rowland rf/reine dh/giuliani lf/hoover 2b/alsup p
Top of the 1st Inning:
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) grounded out to second base.
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) grounded out to third base.
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) struck out looking.
Bottom of the 1st Inning:
Chad Stang (Midland) struck out swinging.
Scott Lawson (Miami) singled up the middle. Lawson stole second.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) struck out swinging.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) reached on a muffed catch by first base, Lawson advanced to third, out at home shortstop to first base to catcher.
Top of the 2nd Inning:
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) grounded to shortstop.
Ben Clowe (Stanford) homered down the left-field line.
Brendan Rowland (Albany) singled through the left side.
Cody Reine (LSU) flied out to center field.
Dave Giuliani (Stanford) flied out to center field.
Bottom of the 2nd Inning:
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) grounded out to shortstop.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) doubled to center field.
Nick McCoy (San Diego) singled through the left side, Feliz advanced to third.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) lined into double play pitcher to first base, McCoy out on the play.
Top of the 3rd Inning:
Stosh Hoover (Trinity) grounded out to second base.
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) flied out to left field.
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) flied out to center field.
Bottom of the 3rd Inning:
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) grounded out to shortstop.
Chad Stang (Midland) singled to right field.
Scott Lawson (Miami) grounded out to pitcher, Stang advanced to second.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) singled to second base, Stang advanced to third.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) grounded out to pitcher.
Top of the 4th Inning:
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) struck out swinging, out at first catcher to first base.
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) singled to shortstop.
Ben Clowe (Stanford) singled to left field.
Brendan Rowland (Albany) walked.
Cody Reine (LSU) fouled out to third base.
Dave Giuliani (Stanford) singled to right field, Spina scored, Clowe advanced to third, Rowland advanced to second.
Stosh Hoover (Trinity) struck out looking.
Bottom of the 4th Inning:
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) walked.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) grounded out to pitcher, sacrifice, Brazeal advanced to second.
Nick McCoy (San Diego) grounded out to shortstop, Brazeal advanced to third.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) grounded out to shortstop.
Top of the 5th Inning:
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) walked. Bisson out at second catcher to shortstop, caught stealing.
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) hit by pitch.
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) singled through the right side, Onorati advanced to second.
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) popped up to second base.
Ben Clowe (Stanford) flied out to right field.
Bottom of the 5th Inning:
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) flied out to right field.
Chad Stang (Midland) flied out to right field.
Scott Lawson (Miami) singled up the middle.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) singled through the right side. Lawson stole third, White stole second.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) struck out swinging.
Top of the 6th Inning:
Brendan Rowland (Albany) grounded out to catcher.
Cody Reine (LSU) tripled to center.
Dave Giuliani (Stanford) singled to right, Reine scored.
Stosh Hoover (Trinity) grounded out to first first base to pitcher. Giuliani advanced to second.
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) grounded out to second base.
Bottom of the 6th Inning:
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) grounded out to shortstop.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) doubled to center field.
Nick McCoy (San Diego) flied out to right field.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) flied out to center field.
Top of the 7th Inning:
Ricky Anaya (Florida Atlantic) to pitcher for Scott Denault (San Diego).
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) singled to center field.
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) struck out swinging.
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) singled to third base, Onorati advanced to second.
Ben Clowe (Stanford) walked, Onorati advanced to third, Spina advanced to second.
Brendan Rowland (Albany) struck out swinging.
Cody Reine (LSU) hit by pitch, Onorati scored, Spina advanced to third, Clowe advanced to second.
Dave Giuliani (Stanford) struck out swinging.
Bottom of the 7th Inning:
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) flied out to center field.
Chad Stang (Midland) struck out looking.
Scott Lawson (Miami) singled to left field. Lawson stole second.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) walked.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) singled up the middle, Lawson scored, White advanced to second.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) struck out swinging.
Top of the 8th Inning:
Stosh Hoover (Trinity) grounded out to third base.
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) singled through the right side.
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) grounded into double play third base to second base to first base, Bisson out on the play.
Bottom of the 8th Inning:
Brian Mooney (Marshall) to pitcher for Ben Alsup (LSU).
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) singled to left field.
Nick McCoy (San Diego) flied out to center.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) walked, Feliz advanced to second.
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) walked, Feliz advanced to third, Koscso advanced to second.
Chad Stang (Midland) walked, Feliz scored, Koscso advanced to third, Courtwright advanced to second.
Rick Breymier (Pittsburgh) to pitcher for Brian Mooney (Marshall).
Scott Lawson (Miami) singled to shortstop, Koscso scored, Courtwright advanced to third, Stang advanced to second.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) struck out swinging.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) singled to center field, Courtwright and Stang scored, Lawson advanced to second. Lawson stole third, Valerio stole second.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) struck out swinging.
Top of the 9th Inning:
Anthony Giansanti (Siena) to pitcher for Ricky Anaya (Florida Atlantic).
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) struck out swinging.
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) doubled to right field.
Ben Clowe (Stanford) struck out swinging.
Brendan Rowland (Albany) struck out swinging.
Glens Falls: stang rf/lawson 2b/white lf/valerio 1b/brazeal dh/feliz cf/mccoy c/koscso 3b/courtwright ss/denault p
Amsterdam: bisson ss/onorati cf/korus 1b/spina 3b/clowe c/rowland rf/reine dh/giuliani lf/hoover 2b/alsup p
Top of the 1st Inning:
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) grounded out to second base.
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) grounded out to third base.
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) struck out looking.
Bottom of the 1st Inning:
Chad Stang (Midland) struck out swinging.
Scott Lawson (Miami) singled up the middle. Lawson stole second.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) struck out swinging.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) reached on a muffed catch by first base, Lawson advanced to third, out at home shortstop to first base to catcher.
Top of the 2nd Inning:
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) grounded to shortstop.
Ben Clowe (Stanford) homered down the left-field line.
Brendan Rowland (Albany) singled through the left side.
Cody Reine (LSU) flied out to center field.
Dave Giuliani (Stanford) flied out to center field.
Bottom of the 2nd Inning:
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) grounded out to shortstop.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) doubled to center field.
Nick McCoy (San Diego) singled through the left side, Feliz advanced to third.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) lined into double play pitcher to first base, McCoy out on the play.
Top of the 3rd Inning:
Stosh Hoover (Trinity) grounded out to second base.
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) flied out to left field.
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) flied out to center field.
Bottom of the 3rd Inning:
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) grounded out to shortstop.
Chad Stang (Midland) singled to right field.
Scott Lawson (Miami) grounded out to pitcher, Stang advanced to second.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) singled to second base, Stang advanced to third.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) grounded out to pitcher.
Top of the 4th Inning:
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) struck out swinging, out at first catcher to first base.
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) singled to shortstop.
Ben Clowe (Stanford) singled to left field.
Brendan Rowland (Albany) walked.
Cody Reine (LSU) fouled out to third base.
Dave Giuliani (Stanford) singled to right field, Spina scored, Clowe advanced to third, Rowland advanced to second.
Stosh Hoover (Trinity) struck out looking.
Bottom of the 4th Inning:
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) walked.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) grounded out to pitcher, sacrifice, Brazeal advanced to second.
Nick McCoy (San Diego) grounded out to shortstop, Brazeal advanced to third.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) grounded out to shortstop.
Top of the 5th Inning:
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) walked. Bisson out at second catcher to shortstop, caught stealing.
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) hit by pitch.
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) singled through the right side, Onorati advanced to second.
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) popped up to second base.
Ben Clowe (Stanford) flied out to right field.
Bottom of the 5th Inning:
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) flied out to right field.
Chad Stang (Midland) flied out to right field.
Scott Lawson (Miami) singled up the middle.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) singled through the right side. Lawson stole third, White stole second.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) struck out swinging.
Top of the 6th Inning:
Brendan Rowland (Albany) grounded out to catcher.
Cody Reine (LSU) tripled to center.
Dave Giuliani (Stanford) singled to right, Reine scored.
Stosh Hoover (Trinity) grounded out to first first base to pitcher. Giuliani advanced to second.
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) grounded out to second base.
Bottom of the 6th Inning:
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) grounded out to shortstop.
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) doubled to center field.
Nick McCoy (San Diego) flied out to right field.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) flied out to center field.
Top of the 7th Inning:
Ricky Anaya (Florida Atlantic) to pitcher for Scott Denault (San Diego).
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) singled to center field.
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) struck out swinging.
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) singled to third base, Onorati advanced to second.
Ben Clowe (Stanford) walked, Onorati advanced to third, Spina advanced to second.
Brendan Rowland (Albany) struck out swinging.
Cody Reine (LSU) hit by pitch, Onorati scored, Spina advanced to third, Clowe advanced to second.
Dave Giuliani (Stanford) struck out swinging.
Bottom of the 7th Inning:
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) flied out to center field.
Chad Stang (Midland) struck out looking.
Scott Lawson (Miami) singled to left field. Lawson stole second.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) walked.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) singled up the middle, Lawson scored, White advanced to second.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) struck out swinging.
Top of the 8th Inning:
Stosh Hoover (Trinity) grounded out to third base.
Chris Bisson (Kentucky) singled through the right side.
Mark Onorati (Manhattan) grounded into double play third base to second base to first base, Bisson out on the play.
Bottom of the 8th Inning:
Brian Mooney (Marshall) to pitcher for Ben Alsup (LSU).
Luis Feliz (Rutgers) singled to left field.
Nick McCoy (San Diego) flied out to center.
Jon Koscso (South Florida) walked, Feliz advanced to second.
Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) walked, Feliz advanced to third, Koscso advanced to second.
Chad Stang (Midland) walked, Feliz scored, Koscso advanced to third, Courtwright advanced to second.
Rick Breymier (Pittsburgh) to pitcher for Brian Mooney (Marshall).
Scott Lawson (Miami) singled to shortstop, Koscso scored, Courtwright advanced to third, Stang advanced to second.
Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) struck out swinging.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) singled to center field, Courtwright and Stang scored, Lawson advanced to second. Lawson stole third, Valerio stole second.
Todd Brazeal (South Florida) struck out swinging.
Top of the 9th Inning:
Anthony Giansanti (Siena) to pitcher for Ricky Anaya (Florida Atlantic).
Spencer Korus (Kentucky) struck out swinging.
Mike Spina (Cincinnati) doubled to right field.
Ben Clowe (Stanford) struck out swinging.
Brendan Rowland (Albany) struck out swinging.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Eastern Division Finals Notes
For the second-straight year, the Glens Falls Golden Eagles captured the #1 seed in the Eastern Division. In the Eastern Division Finals, the green and yellow will need every ounce of home-field advantage.
The Golden Eagles are 3-4 overall against the Mohawks this season. A deadly offensive team, the Mohawks are led by third baseman Mike Spina (Cincinnati), outfielder Mark Onorati (Manhattan) and first baseman Spencer Korus (Kentucky). The Amsterdam trio of all-stars will attempt to lift a depleted pitching staff to victory over a Glens Falls team they owned at Shuttlesworth Park, winning three out of four games there this summer.
Scott Denault (San Diego) looks to be the natural starter for the first game of the series after Glens Falls started Shane Davis (Canisius) on Friday and Jack Wagoner (Sacred Heart) on Saturday. In one appearances against the Mohawks this summer, Denault pitched six innings allowing three runs on four hits while striking out six. Denault did not earn a decision for that start. In the regular season, Denault was 5-1 with a 2.89 earned run average. He led the team with 62.1 innings pitched and 52 strikeouts.
Jamie Storey (Midland) and Will Hassett (Siena) also started more than three games apiece this summer, but Storey tossed two innings of relief in Game 2 at Watertown on Saturday.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) and Kody Johnson (Pima CC) are both hitting .300 or better in at least five games played against the Mohawks. Johnson's two homers leads the team and his five runs batted in are second only to Jonathan White's (Vanderbilt) six.
The Golden Eagles are 3-4 overall against the Mohawks this season. A deadly offensive team, the Mohawks are led by third baseman Mike Spina (Cincinnati), outfielder Mark Onorati (Manhattan) and first baseman Spencer Korus (Kentucky). The Amsterdam trio of all-stars will attempt to lift a depleted pitching staff to victory over a Glens Falls team they owned at Shuttlesworth Park, winning three out of four games there this summer.
Scott Denault (San Diego) looks to be the natural starter for the first game of the series after Glens Falls started Shane Davis (Canisius) on Friday and Jack Wagoner (Sacred Heart) on Saturday. In one appearances against the Mohawks this summer, Denault pitched six innings allowing three runs on four hits while striking out six. Denault did not earn a decision for that start. In the regular season, Denault was 5-1 with a 2.89 earned run average. He led the team with 62.1 innings pitched and 52 strikeouts.
Jamie Storey (Midland) and Will Hassett (Siena) also started more than three games apiece this summer, but Storey tossed two innings of relief in Game 2 at Watertown on Saturday.
Jose Valerio (San Diego) and Kody Johnson (Pima CC) are both hitting .300 or better in at least five games played against the Mohawks. Johnson's two homers leads the team and his five runs batted in are second only to Jonathan White's (Vanderbilt) six.
Playoff Notes, Edition 2
The Golden Eagles swept the Eastern Division Semi-finals against the Watertown Wizards, their first post-season series sweep in franchise history.
Chad Stang (Midland) was 4-for-10 in the series with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored. Stang has been one of the strongest performers for the Golden Eagles this season after a relatively slow start. Scott Lawson (Miami) was 3-for-9 in the two games and Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) added two runs batted in.
Anthony Giansanti (Siena) pitched two perfect innings for the win in Game 2 at Duffy Fairgrounds in Watertown. Giansanti earned the win after pitching the tenth and eleventh innings after Glens Falls scored three runs for a 7-4 lead in the top of the eleventh. In seven total appearances on the mound this summer, Giansanti is 2-0 with a 0.84 earned run average and one save. In 10.2 innings, the Montville, Conn. native has struck out 13 while walking only six. Giansanti's excellence late in games leaves Manager John Mayotte with a dilemma for the role of closer--one we are sure he is more than happy to have.
Chad Stang (Midland) was 4-for-10 in the series with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored. Stang has been one of the strongest performers for the Golden Eagles this season after a relatively slow start. Scott Lawson (Miami) was 3-for-9 in the two games and Jonathan White (Vanderbilt) added two runs batted in.
Anthony Giansanti (Siena) pitched two perfect innings for the win in Game 2 at Duffy Fairgrounds in Watertown. Giansanti earned the win after pitching the tenth and eleventh innings after Glens Falls scored three runs for a 7-4 lead in the top of the eleventh. In seven total appearances on the mound this summer, Giansanti is 2-0 with a 0.84 earned run average and one save. In 10.2 innings, the Montville, Conn. native has struck out 13 while walking only six. Giansanti's excellence late in games leaves Manager John Mayotte with a dilemma for the role of closer--one we are sure he is more than happy to have.
Team Owner Darin Williams Featured in Post-Star
For the love of the game
Darin Williams risked everything to save baseball in Glens Falls. Can he pull it off?
GLENS FALLS - Call Darin Williams crazy. Go ahead, everyone else does.
Tell him he's nuts to mortgage his house, to throw his retirement savings at a baseball team too few people go see play. Tell him he's insane to give the team a loan to keep it afloat. Stop him before he does it again.
Tell him to think of his kids. Tell him he can't keep up the 20-hour days forever, that the next time his back goes out, it might be for good.
Tell him to get out before it's too late -- as if it isn't already. Tell him to work a few more years at the prison and then drift into retirement.
Tell him saving baseball in this city is a fool's errand, or at the least, a rich man's.
And he isn't either.
Tell Darin Williams he's crazy. Go ahead. He's heard it before.
"This is my big gamble. Take it or lose it," he says. "It's like you're in a Texas Hold 'Em tournament and you've got that big pile in front of you. I'm all in."
But does he have a winning hand?
On the field, the Glens Falls Golden Eagles are an unmitigated success. No team in the New York Collegiate Baseball League has won more games since Williams bought them two years ago. This weekend, they're playing in the Eastern Division playoffs.
Off the field, the books are a sea of red ink. The franchise lost $60,000 last year and is on track to lose at least a quarter of that this year.
Still, Williams toils on, banking that the city will warm to the team, that the sponsors will pull out their checkbooks, that the financial situation will turn around.
If you must, go ahead, call Darin Williams crazy. But he's not folding that easy.
- -
Before he threw his life into the Golden Eagles, Darin Williams was a guy with a "For Rent" sign.
That's how this all started, in 2004, with a sign in an apartment window. He owned a property on Bay Street, a one-time flop house he bought as an investment and to make sure the previous tenants never again disturbed his family.
He made a decent living as a sergeant at Great Meadow Correctional Facility, dabbled as a landlord, and was steam rolling to retirement before 50.
Then he got a call about that sign: would he be willing to loan his apartment to an assistant coach from the town's new summer baseball team?
Sure, he said, on one condition: if my son can be the bat boy.
By the start of the second season, he and his wife, Sheri, were hosting two players in their home. By the start of the third, Sheri coordinated the host-family program and Williams was the official scorekeeper.
By the end of the third, the whispers started. Roger Ames was shopping the team. All options were on the table, including moving the team.
Glens Falls was headed for another baseball breakup, the way it had with the Tigers, the White Sox and the Lumberjacks. Different leagues, different times, same story.
His solution was the same as when the flop house came up for sale. Buy it.
"I wanted to keep baseball here," he says. "So for me it was a no-brainer."
On the surface, it hardly seemed that way. Then 41, with two children not even in high school, he was five years away from retirement eligibility under the corrections system. He had no business experience.
The league itself isn't exactly a bastion of stability: Glens Falls, Saratoga, Bennington and Niagara have all entered the 14-team league in the past five years.
"In this league, in this town, you have to be kind of (crazy) to try to keep this baseball team here ..." says Jeremy Winig, who has spent the last two summers volunteering with the club and handling as many of the day-to-day operations as anyone outside the Williams family. "Most people wouldn't put themselves in this situation, putting his whole family on the line. You've got to respect what he's doing, even if you wouldn't do it yourself."
Out of respect to the previous owner, Williams won't say what he paid. But the price tag was more than the $25,000 it takes to buy into the league from scratch.
"What I'm looking at is this. If I don't have something to do after I retire I'm going to go crazy," Darin says.
But why this? Why here?
He grew up big and fast in Elizabethtown and wore the bull's-eye that comes with being a town's biggest kid. He had an impish side, the kind of guy who'd later string a dead bear over the high school goalposts as a joke, and a side that angered quicker than he liked.
He spent summers in Fort Edward with family. He'd borrow a 10-speed and ride the days away. Nights he pedaled to East Field to watch minor-league baseball.
"When I was younger, I got blamed for a lot of things," Darin says. "I used to sit here and just watch. Just the idea of getting out and enjoying myself, no pressures."
He sees himself in the kids at the ballpark.
"Just the idea of seeing the kids, the bright faces after getting an autograph signed or catching that foul ball. And just seeing, my son, it's satisfying," Darin says.
And then there's that word: satisfying. It's a word he doesn't get to use at his day job, where as a grievance sergeant he mediates an endless chain of griping prisoners. He never went to college and has toiled in prisons since his early 20s.
"All we see is the bad part of society," he says. "If you're a carpenter, you build a house, you can go back and look at what you've built. What do we do? We keep human beings from other human beings. What is your sense of accomplishment?"
Is this team then about building something tangible? About building something a whole city can be proud of? About leaving a legacy?
"This is my chance, my chance to do something more," he says.
- -
Jonathan White, an outfielder for the Golden Eagles, walked up to Darin Williams, held out the shriveled hot dog and shook his head as if to say, "Can you believe this?"
No, Williams couldn't, and for the first time this night, he's mad. But hold that thought for a minute.
It's been a perfect late July night for baseball at Shuttleworth Park in Amsterdam, and Williams has remained stoic through a 5-4 loss.
In many ways, the baseball experience at Amsterdam is the benchmark Williams hopes to create in Glens Falls. The park is small and intimate. Down the right-field line, fans enjoy the Coors Light beer deck. High behind home plate, pizzas get delivered to the air-conditioned skybox where televisions are turned to the Yankees game.
Maybe more important is the ubiquitous presence of local businesses. The outfield wall is plastered with advertisements. Between every inning, there's some promotion. Businesses hawk everything from shipping via UPS, to Ford Trucks to dogs at the SPCA.
It's the kind of operation you can run when you have a wealthy owner, a full-time general manager and stadium crew that on this night seems to be a couple dozen.
By comparison, the Eagles have Williams, his wife, Winig and two other interns. A cast of volunteers works the concession stand and the gate, and Williams picks up the slack.
Amsterdam is second in the league in attendance, averaging more than 1,200. In the cozy park it feels like more.
Glens Falls, third in attendance, averages a little less than half of that. In the cavernous, 8,000-seat East Field, entire sections of rickety bleachers remain empty.
Amsterdam draws big families and the businesses who pony up for a night out. Glens Falls draws hardcore baseball fans, the kind more likely to keep score than drop a 20 at the concession stand (which doesn't offer beer anyway).
You can guess which field draws more revenue.
Despite the disadvantages in revenue, the Eagles have an operating budget that exceeds $100,000, putting them near the high end of the league.
Some of that is borne of necessity. While many teams in the Western Division play on rent-free school fields, East Field rents at $750 per game, though the Eagles get a slight break. Field rental costs are the biggest line in the budget.
But there's also a large part of the budget that's discretionary. The second-largest item is travel. With soaring gas prices, many teams have cut back to sending their teams on road trips in personal cars. The Golden Eagles go everywhere by coach bus.
"I could save money and go without the bus," Williams says. "But how would I feel if one of these kids got in accident? If I had to call someone's parents ... how could I sleep at night? How I could tell someone's parents that something happened because I didn't want to spend the money?"
Which brings us, finally, to the hot dog.
At the start of the season, the NYCBL issued a noble mandate. At the end of the game, the league asked if the home team could feed both teams, not just itself.
And so Williams cooked pulled pork, bought pizzas, paid restaurants to cook lasagna. He made real meals, the kind athletes need. But all too frequently, other clubs reneged, offering the concession stand's leftovers.
That's the case on this night. While the Mohawks eat real food, they've offered the Eagles only the overdone, limp hot dogs White shows to Williams.
Seething as they pile into their SUV, Sheri says, "It makes me want to not feed them when they come."
But the threat is toothless. In the next few weeks, they plan several elaborate meals.
"If I can't do this the right way, I won't do it all," Darin says.
John Mayotte, who's coached the team since its inception and has been with both professional and summer teams, including the prestigious Cape Cod League, concurs.
"He's made a sincere commitment to do things the right way," he says. "It puts a greater demand on him and Sheri. You can always run into people who try to take shortcuts. I know it's extremely difficult financially to do those things. But in the long run, it's the right way and it will separate him from the pack."
But how much longer can he do it? After the team's $60,000 loss last season, he seeded the team with a capital loan against his retirement savings. Because the team is swimming in red, many of the niceties are out-of-pocket expenses.
"I'd be lying if I said (quitting) hasn't crossed my mind," Sheri said. "He will continue going and going. He's such a giver he will do everything he can for that team and pull money out of some place to maintain. Do I ever see myself, times I wanted to say (quit) to him? Yes. Would I ever? No. Because his love is there."
Though he's far from throwing in the towel, Williams concedes that if help doesn't come from somewhere -- more fan support, renovations of East Field -- he can't write checks ad infinitum.
"I'm coming pretty close to being done," he says.
- -
If ever baseball were to thrive again in this town, it'd look much like this early July night. Aside from a passing shower, the night is cool and slow. The summer, in all its pregnant possibility, stretches lazily ahead. Autumn feels a long ways off, and the crowd at East Field senses the evening is special.
On the mound, a left-handed whiz kid named Shane Davis, a player Williams lives with and cares enough to call his "summer son," carries a no-hitter through eight innings.
Williams, the man most responsible for it all, hasn't seen a pitch. He's hovered over a grill in a sweaty, smokey shack tacked on to the concession stand.
The cook didn't show, so Williams flips burgers while others enjoy the game.
It's a typical day. On days with home games, he's up before 6 a.m. to make roll call at Great Meadows. He's out of there by 3 p.m, and to the park where he'll be awake well past midnight, until the last sack of laundry has been dropped at the cleaners.
He's cooked, installed phone lines, credit card machines, repaired broken water pipes, painted bleachers; whatever it takes.
Williams has made business mistakes -- things like buying 13,000 custom programs his opening year. Nine-thousand sit unsold in boxes in an East Field office. But no one questions his work ethic.
Those who work with him, however, wish he'd delegate more. A disc in his back slipped out last season. While his team played in the NYCBL championship series, Williams laid in Glens Falls Hospital. He was bedridden again for four days last week.
"He's not afraid to try something. He's a working guy," says Phil Tucker, chairman of the Glens Falls Area Baseball Hall of Fame and member of the city's baseball booster club. "But I thought I'd be able to do more for him this year. He needs a real GM, real staff, to start delegating responsibility. I think he's trying to take on to much himself."
It's a fear those who care about him echo.
"If you've got one person trying to do everything, it doesn't work out," says Mayotte, who considers the Williams family close personal friends.
Williams will never get rich from this team. But if he can break even, travel to see his ex-ballplayers play professionally, and give something back to the community, he says, he'll be happy.
To quit would be to let down the city, the kids, the players. He won't, he can't, consider failing.
"I've put so many hours, so many days, and now working on years of my life to this," he says. "(Failure), would be like saying you just spent those years on nothing."
Go ahead, call Darin Williams crazy, if you still think so. Tell him he's nuts.
See if he cares.
Golden Eagles Cast Spell on Wizards in Extras
Excerpt courtesy of John McGraw, NYCBL Media Relations
Game Two: Glens Falls 7 Watertown 4 (11)
WATERTOWN, N.Y. – Chad Stang (Midland) ripped an 11th-inning RBI single and the Golden Eagles scored three extra-inning runs to defeat the Wizards at Duffy Fairgrounds. The win gives Glens Falls a series sweep, its first in franchise history. Stang's one-out single to right scored Nick McCoy (San Diego) to break a 4-4 tie. Glens Falls plated two more runs in the inning on a pair or Watertown errors. The Wizards had forced the extra session with three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning on two hits, two wild pitches and a throwing error. The Golden Eagles lone error of the game allowed Watertown's Tom Barry (Phoenix) to score the game-tying run in the ninth. Nick McCoy belted two doubles and scored two runs for Glens Falls. Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) tallied two runs for the Golden Eagles in the final three innings. Starter Jack Wagoner (Sacred Heart) allowed one run on six hits through seven innings but did not figure in the decision. Jordak Kreke (Eastern Illinois) went 2-for-5 with one RBI to lead the Wizards offense. Tom Barry added two hits.
Game Two: Glens Falls 7 Watertown 4 (11)
WATERTOWN, N.Y. – Chad Stang (Midland) ripped an 11th-inning RBI single and the Golden Eagles scored three extra-inning runs to defeat the Wizards at Duffy Fairgrounds. The win gives Glens Falls a series sweep, its first in franchise history. Stang's one-out single to right scored Nick McCoy (San Diego) to break a 4-4 tie. Glens Falls plated two more runs in the inning on a pair or Watertown errors. The Wizards had forced the extra session with three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning on two hits, two wild pitches and a throwing error. The Golden Eagles lone error of the game allowed Watertown's Tom Barry (Phoenix) to score the game-tying run in the ninth. Nick McCoy belted two doubles and scored two runs for Glens Falls. Curt Courtwright (Missouri State) tallied two runs for the Golden Eagles in the final three innings. Starter Jack Wagoner (Sacred Heart) allowed one run on six hits through seven innings but did not figure in the decision. Jordak Kreke (Eastern Illinois) went 2-for-5 with one RBI to lead the Wizards offense. Tom Barry added two hits.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Playoff Notes
- Designated hitter Todd Brazeal (South Florida) provided an offensive boost last night with his solo shot over the left-field fence in the seventh inning. The ball hit a power line just beyond the fence and dropped straight down in front of Haskell Avenue. With Brazeal in the designated hitter's spot, the Golden Eagles are a perfect 14-0.
- Chad Stang (Midland) had his third three-hit game of the season last night, tying him for the team lead with Kody Johnson (Pima CC). Since breaking his 16-game hitting streak, Stang has quietly put together another four-game run.
- Scott Lawson (Miami) raised his batting average to .295 with two hits in the first game against Watertown. The Golden Eagles are 10-1 with Lawson playing second base.
- Shane Davis (Canisius) provided another solid outing for Glens Falls taking a four-hit shutout into the ninth inning. The three earned runs Davis was charged with in the game is one more than he allowed during the whole regular season.
- Defensive stalwart Jose Valerio (San Diego) has still not committed an error this summer.
- Game 2 tonight in Watertown at Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds. John McGraw, of NYCBL Media Relations fame, will be on the call tonight for Teamline.
- Chad Stang (Midland) had his third three-hit game of the season last night, tying him for the team lead with Kody Johnson (Pima CC). Since breaking his 16-game hitting streak, Stang has quietly put together another four-game run.
- Scott Lawson (Miami) raised his batting average to .295 with two hits in the first game against Watertown. The Golden Eagles are 10-1 with Lawson playing second base.
- Shane Davis (Canisius) provided another solid outing for Glens Falls taking a four-hit shutout into the ninth inning. The three earned runs Davis was charged with in the game is one more than he allowed during the whole regular season.
- Defensive stalwart Jose Valerio (San Diego) has still not committed an error this summer.
- Game 2 tonight in Watertown at Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds. John McGraw, of NYCBL Media Relations fame, will be on the call tonight for Teamline.
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