By Jon Sargalis

Box Score     Photos

After trading blows all game, each team gave up the lead in the ninth but the Mohawks and Utica Blue Sox would battle it out to a 4-4 tie on Monday night at Murnane Field.

The Mohawks got on the board in the first inning. Back-to-back walks  and a double play got Luke Filippi over to third base and he scored as the following pitch was a passed ball to put Amsterdam up 1-0.

The Blue Sox answered right back as Vincent Cowdrey hit a leadoff double and came into score on an Anthony Perritano groundout to tie it at 1.

Utica grabbed the lead in the third. Lewis Haung and Duncan Cullinane hit back-to-back singles to begin the inning. They both moved into scoring position courtesy of a sacrifice bunt by Vincent Cowdrey. Matt Colella then grounded out to short and drove in Haung to make it 2-1.

Amsterdam tied it back up in the fifth as Bray Touchstone led off the inning with a double and scored on a wild pitch moments before Isaac Crosby ended the inning with a strikeout.

The Mohawks would grab the lead again in the sixth as Sebastian Harden reached on a single and advanced on an error. He would tag up on a lineout to right and Jon Young, Jr. would walk to put runners on the corners. Brandon McCraine beat out the potential inning ending double play and drove in Harden on the fielder’s choice as Amsterdam took a 3-2 lead.

The Blue Sox answered back in the seventh as Lewis Haung drove in RJ Thomae with a single to right and once again the game was tied.

The ninth inning turned into an adventure for both teams. Jon Young, Jr. led off the inning with a walk for the Mohawks. Brandon McCraine was given the task to move Young into scoring position as he attempted to sacrifice himself and get a bunt down. The result? One could say the task failed successfully. Instead of getting the bunt down, McCraine got the bunt up. A potentially disastrous result as the ball could’ve been caught, and Young doubled off first. Instead, the ball sailed over a leaping Warren Bowe on the mound and landed in no mans land behind the mound and second base, resulting in a bunt single and no outs recorded. A botched pickoff attempt moved the runners to second and third and a sac-fly by Will Cowan gave the Mohawks a 4-3 lead.

Joey Gecewicz tried to record the save in the ninth, but the Blue Sox had other plans. After walks to the first 2 batters, Waldy Rodriguez got the sacrifice bunt down to move the tying and winning runs into scoring position. Ryan Ulisse hit a grounder to second base, the Mohawks tried to get the out at the plate and failed as Connor Jones scored the tying run. Lewis Haung tried to end the game with a squeeze play; however he popped the bunt up and Gecewicz was able to make the catch. Joey then got the next batter to ground out and send the game to the tenth inning.

With Chris Hoalcraft placed on second, Danny Perez grounded out to move Hoalcraft to third. Alex Junghans tied a squeeze bunt but Utica made the play at the plate, ending the Mohawks threat.

In the bottom of the tenth Sam Falace came in to try and end the game as a tie. He struck out the first batter he faced. Nathan Estrada, who pinch ran as the runner placed on second then stole third with 1 out. Matt Colella flew out to Will Cowan in right, but the Blue Sox decided not to test his arm as Estrada stayed at third. The Mohawks intentionally walked Anthony Perritano and decided to pitch to Sean Sousa with the game on the line. Sousa hit a slow grounder to third and Peyton Jemison made a fantastic play getting the throw off in time and recorded the final out at first in a bang-bang play.

It was the first tie for either team this season as the Mohawks move to 16-6-1 and the Blue Sox stay at .500 with a 9-9-1 record.

The Mohawks return home tomorrow to host the Saugerties Stallions in a doubleheader starting at 4:15.

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