By Jon Sargalis

Box Score  Game 1  Game 2   Photos

The Amsterdam Mohawks split a doubleheader with the Albany Dutchmen, winning the first game by a score of 9-5 and dropping the second by a score of 4-0 Thursday at Keenholts Park.

The first game was hitless until the fourth inning as Mohawks starter Maximilian Ramirez (Niagara) and Dutchmen starter Greg Mays (Cortland) matched each other pitch-for-pitch. It was Ramirez who yielded the first hit and run of the game as Vince Venditti (St. Rose) led off the bottom of the fourth with a double and scored on a Brody Keneston (Le Moyne) single to give the Dutchmen a 1-0 lead.

The Mohawks had no answers for Greg Mays who pitched 4 hitless innings only allowing 3 walks with 3 strikeouts. Once he departed the game the Mohawks bats came to life as Jaxson West (Alabama/Florida State) singled and scored as Mason Swinney (Alabama) followed with a double to tie the game at 1. Alex Irizarry (Maryland) and Eddie Yamin (Dayton) were both hit by pitches which loaded the bases for Max Martin (Rutgers) who drew a bases loaded walk to force in Swinney giving the Mohawks a 2-1 lead. One batter later Jared Johnson (Brown) worked a walk to force in Yamin and Luke Longo (NJIT) hit a 2-run single to score Jalen DeBose (FAU) and Max Martin to make it 5-1. Cam Gurney (Utah) capped off the 6-run inning as he singled up the middle to drive in Johnson as the Mohawks took a 6-1 lead.

The Dutchmen responded in the bottom of the fourth as Nick Plue (Manhattan) and Austin Francis (NJIT) hit singles to start the inning and both scored on a Vince Venditti double to make it 6-3. After a pitching change, Venditti scored on a Tyler Kipp single to right to cut the Mohawks lead to 6-4.

Amsterdam added 3 insurance runs in the seventh as Jared Johnson hit an RBI single driving in Max Martin and Luke Longo hit a 2-run double driving in Jalen DeBose and Bruer Webster to make it 9-4.

Albany added 1 run in the bottom of the seventh as a bases loaded walk to Tyler Kipp (Fairfield) forced in Vince Venditti. Keith Griffin then gave the ball to Ryan Taffe (Fairfield) who needed just 1 pitch to induce a flyout to left field to end the game and secure the 9-5 win.

Luke Longo went 2-for-4 with a double and 4 RBI. The double was his 13th of the season which ties him with Austin Sheffield and John Valente for 6th most and the 4 RBIs bring him to 39 for the season, passing Hunter Tackett, Zach Gardiner and Maxwell Costes and tying him with Jon Schwind for 4th most in a Mohawks single season.

Maximilian Ramirez was credited with his first win of the season to improve to 1-0, while Aidan Nugent took the loss falling to 0-2.

The second game started much like the first and the first hit of the game wasn’t recorded until a single by Will Binder (UAlbany) for the Dutchmen to lead off the bottom of the fourth.

Peyton Fall (College of Central Florida) made his Mohawks debut and went 4 shutout innings allowing 1 hit and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. On the other side, Andrew Dongelewic (Stony Brook) pitched 4 shutout innings with out allowing a hit with 5 walks and 2 strikeouts.

All the action was in the fifth inning. The Mohawks recorded their lone hit of the game, a Marek Houston (Wake Forest) single in the top of the inning. In the bottom, Carson Cotugno (Wake Forest/Siena) took to the mound and allowed hits to the first 3 batters to load the bases. Anthony Paskell (Rider) grounded into a double play as Korson Hastings (Trinity) scored to give the Dutchmen a 1-0 lead. A passed ball gave Albany a 2-0 lead. Will Binder then hit an RBI single to drive in Mario Cubello and Brody Keneston followed with another RBI single to score Vince Venditti to put the Dutchmen up 4-0.  

Devin Campbell (Oswego) was the winning pitcher, improving to 1-1 as the Dutchmen moved to 16-19. Carson Cotugno took the loss, falling to 0-1 as the Mohawks now stand at 33-4-1. This was also the first time the Mohawks have been shutout since a 4-0 loss to Saugerties on July 24, 2021.

The Mohawks are off on Friday and will face the Utica Blue Sox on Saturday for Fireworks Night with a chance to clinch the East Division with a win.

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