By Jon Sargalis
Box Score
The PGCBL Championship began Thursday night at Dunn Field as the Elmira Pioneers hosted the Amsterdam Mohawks in a rematch of the 2023 Championship. Amsterdam scored in each of the first 4 innings, but the bullpen came up huge as the Mohawks took the first game by a score of 7-2.
Amsterdam struck first as Zach Eldred doubled and scored on a passed ball, but Elmira responded in the bottom of the first as Matthew Leahy led off with a single and scored on an Andy Schroeder single.
The Mohawks took the lead back in the second as Rob Rispoli doubled and scored on a Steven Spalitta double to make it 2-1.
In the third, Evan Haeger reached on an error and scored on a Jimmy Dionne RBI single. Elmira responded in the bottom of the third as Cooper Smith singled and scored on an Andy Schroeder single to keep the Mohawks lead within a run at 3-2.
Amsterdam got some breathing room in the fourth with a 3-run inning. Steven Spalitta singled and scored on a Sebastian Harden single. Javar Williams scored on a Zach Eldred double, and Eldred scored on an Evan Hager double as the Mohawks took a 6-2 lead.
Zach Hernandez started for the Mohawks and ran into trouble in the fifth with 2 on and one out. Brenden Kline came in and hit the first batter he faced to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate, but he got Cooper Smith to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning unscathed.
Hernandez finished with a line of 4.1 innings pitched, 2 runs, 5 hits and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts.
Kline started the sixth inning and walked the first 2 batters he faced, which brought Mason Veronezi into the game. Just like the previous inning, Veronezi plunked the first batter he would face, and the bases were loaded once again as the tying run came up to the plate. Veronezi would strike out Partick Ward for the first out and then induce another inning ending double play. This time it was Evan Blanchard who grounded into a 5-4-3 double play as the Mohawks escaped unscathed once again.
In the ninth, Cade Ladehoff homered as the Mohawks took a 7-2 lead.
Mason Veronezi finished off the game as he pitched a 1-2-3 inning to secure the Game 1 victory for the Mohawks. He was also the winning pitcher as he went the final 4 innings, allowing 1 hit and 1 walk with 3 strikeouts. Patrick Ward took the loss for the Pioneers.
The PGCBL season concludes tomorrow at Shuttleworth Park. Game 2 begins at 4:00 and if the Mohawks fall in the first game, Game 3 will immediately follow. Up 1-0 in the series, the Mohawks only need to win 1 game tomorrow to with their 3rd straight PGCBL Title and 13th overall.
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