By Sam Reis
Box Score Photos
In a matchup between two teams separated by 20 games in the standings, the Watertown Rapids pulled off the upset of the season in the PGCBL with a 6-4 win over the Amsterdam Mohawks on Saturday night at Rao Family Stadium.
Tyler Sausville (New Haven/Xavier) made his seventh start of the season on the mound and third against Watertown. After striking out Nick Locurto (Virginia Tech), Jax Miller (Walsh) was hit by a pitch and David McCann (Virginia Tech) doubled. Sausville struck out Nick Mazzotta (Fairleigh Dickinson) for the second out but walked Bryce Phelps (Southeastern CC) to load the bases. Then, Quinten Perilli (Elizabethtown) delivered a bases clearing double to give the Rapids a 3-0 lead. Gaetan Grandelli (West Chester) followed that up with a single that drove in Perilli to make it 4-0.
Austin McClure (Mayville State) made his seventh appearance and fourth start on the mound for Watertown. In the first five innings, the Australian did not allow a hit against the first five batters in Amsterdam’s lineup.
With the score still 4-0 through the fifth inning, Tyler Sausville’s night came to an end. The southpaw allowed five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts, settling in after a shaky first inning. Carson Cotugno (Wake Forest) entered in the sixth, making his sixth appearance of the summer. The Amsterdam native began his outing with a 1-2-3 frame.
To begin the bottom of the sixth, Alex Irizarry (Maryland) reached on an error. Back to the top of the order, Jalen Debose (Florida Atlantic) notched a double for Amsterdam’s third hit of the game. Then, Jared Johnson (Brown) was hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. That is when Austin McClure was taken out of the game. The right-hander allowed just three hits and no earned runs with three walks and one strikeout in 5+ innings. Teaghin Andre (St. Lawrence) replaced McClure, making his seventh appearance and fourth against Amsterdam. After recording the first out and keeping the runners put, Cam Gurney (Utah) grounded out to drive in Irizarry and put the Mohawks on the board. Luke Zeisloft (Maryland) was hit by a pitch to again load the bases, but Zach Eldred (Brockport) struck out to end the inning with the Rapids leading 4-1.
In the seventh, Quinten Perilli and Pranav Sundar (Cuesta) were both walked by Cotugno. A passed ball enabled Perilli to advance to third and Sundar to second. Then, Mike Norton (Wheeling) grounded out to score Perilli and restore a four-run lead for Watertown. With Sundar at third, he was driven in on a single by Colin Hageman (UW-Stout) to give the Rapids a 6-1 lead. Cotugno was then taken out, allowing two runs on one hit with two walks and a strikeout in 1 ⅔ innings. Von Baker (Cornell) was called upon to finish out the seventh, making his ninth appearance and fifth against Watertown. Nick Locurto, the next batter, grounded out to end the inning.
Baker pitched through the eighth, allowing just one hit and no runs in 1 ⅓ innings. Joey Colucci (Maryland) entered for the ninth, appearing in his seventh game and third against Watertown. The righty had no issues, sitting down the side in order with one strikeout.
Down to the last three outs, Luke Longo walked to begin the bottom of the ninth. After Cam Gurney struck out, Luke Zeisloft doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Then, pinch hitter Eddie Yamin (Dayton) ripped a double to left-center field, scoring Longo and Zeisloft to make it 6-3. That is when Teaghin Andre was taken out of the game. The lefty gave up two hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Sean Decker-Jacoby (Brandeis) entered, appearing out of the bullpen for the first time this season after making six starts, including two against Amsterdam. Mason Swinney (Alabama) was walked and Yamin advanced to third on a passed ball to put runners on the corners. Marek Houston (Wake Forest) grounded out to bring Yamin home and make it 6-4. With two outs, Maximus Martin (Rutgers/Georgia State) walked. During Gage Miller’s (Bishop State CC) plate appearance, Martin and Swinney pulled off a double steal to put both runners in scoring position. With a full count, Miller hit a ball on the ground towards third base and as Martin attempted to advance from second to third, Pranav Sundar tagged Martin to seal the upset win for Watertown despite a late scare.
Amsterdam mustered just five hits, with two coming in the final inning, in just its third loss of the campaign. David McCann and Gaetan Grandelli both recorded two hits for the Rapids in their first victory over the Mohawks in a decade.
Austin McClure earned the win, improving to 1-1. Sean Decker-Jacoby was credited with the save, his first of the season. The surprise result lifts the Rapids to 10-22. Despite being tied with Boonville for the worst record in the east, Watertown is just 2.5 games out of a playoff spot. Watertown and Boonville square off on Sunday at 5.
Tyler Sausville suffered the loss, his first of the year, dropping him to 5-1. A six-game unbeaten streak was snapped as the Mohawks fell to 29-3-1. After an off day on Sunday, Amsterdam welcomes Glens Falls to Shuttleworth Park on Monday at 6:35.
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