By Ian Nicholas

Box Score

In a back-and-forth battle on Friday night, the Mohawks (27-4) won their seventh game in a row with a 7-4 defeat of the Dragons (6-25) at Shuttleworth Park. In the process, Amsterdam improved to 6-1 on the summer against Glens Falls. 

Aidan Kidd (NJIT) made his sixth start of the year for the Mohawks, and the Califronia native did not disappoint. The sophomore tossed four scoreless innings while allowing two hits and three walks with six strikeouts. Across 24.1 frames this season, Kidd has yet to allow a run, as he’s still the only pitcher in the PGCBL with a 0.00 ERA and 10+ innings pitched. 

Dragons starter Daniel Cohen (Yale) also impressed early on, as the high school senior retired the side in the bottom of the first. Amsterdam would come alive soon enough, though. With first and second and two outs in the bottom of the second inning, Mark Black (Gardiner-Webb) shot a ball to center field that allowed Cade Bush (Florida State) to score. Minutes later, a wild pitch from Cohen let Josh Overbeek (Pittsburgh) come home to increase the lead 2-0. Cohen dialed in soon after and held the Mohawks off the board over the next three frames. The Glens Falls starter hurled five innings, surrendering two runs off five hits with six punchouts and two walks. 

Carson Cotugno (Wake Forest) replaced Kidd on the mound in the top of the fifth and held the 2-0 advantage after a 1-2-3 inning. The Amsterdam native got into trouble when he returned in the sixth, however, as he gave up three runs. Cotugno loaded the bases without recording an out and then preceded to allow a two-run double from Phoenix Bowman (Iona) that tied the contest. A single to centerfield from Cory Listing (Coker) gave the Dragons their first lead of the night as Kyle Zaslaw (Union) touched home plate. In two innings, Cotugno allowed three runs off three hits with two walks and a strikeout.

The Mohawks responded in a hurry thanks to an RBI fielder’s choice for Cameron Love (Rutgers) in the bottom of the sixth that scored Ian Petrutz (Maryland). But Glens Falls wasted no time in getting the lead right back during the top of the seventh. Off pitcher Hagan Banks (Alabama), Mario Cubello (St. John Fisher) punched a bloop-single to center field that let Quentin Bowman (Saint Rose) score and gave the Dragons a 4-3 advantage. 

In the bottom of the seventh, Amsterdam retook the lead and never looked back. After pitcher Cameron Darrow (SUNY Adirondack) loaded the bases with one out, Gage Miller (Bishop State CC) cranked a ball through the hole and into left-field for a two-RBI single. The Mohawks increased their lead to 6-4 after Paul Winland (Florida SouthWestern) scored on a passed ball. Then, Zach Gardiner (Marshall) notched his league-leading 34th RBI of the campaign with a sac-fly that allowed Miller to score a run. Darrow was handed the loss after he pitched two innings and gave up five runs off three hits and seven walks. 

Jack Slyvia (St. Lawrence) chucked a scoreless eighth inning despite allowing a pair of hits. Finally in the top of the ninth, Conner Whittaker (Florida State) secured his first save of the summer and racked up three punchouts to end the game. Banks was the winning pitcher. 

Amsterdam hits the road tonight to face Albany at 6:35 pm. Listen in to the radio broadcast on the Amsterdam Mohawks Facebook page through Facebook Live. Glens Falls has the day off before hosting Saugerties on Sunday at 7:00 pm.

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