By Shannon Bickert

Box Score     Photos

Saugerties' Mason Gazzaway walked off Amsterdam to seal an 11-9 barnburner. The Mohawks pitching staff was tacked with 11 runs on 20 hits from a fiery Stallion’s offense. Despite allowing 20 hits, the Mohawk’s staff struck out 11 batters.

Gabriel Rivera continued his red-hot start to the year with his third home run in as many games. Rivera went 3-5, recording four RBI on two doubles and a homerun.

The Mohawks attacked Stallion’s starting pitcher, Landon Seipp, in the first, taking a 1-0 courtesy of Rivera’s double and Anthony DeCesare’s walk.

The Stallions immediately answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first. Saugerties strung together four hits off Amsterdam’s starter, Harrison Hicks.

The Mohawks knotted things back up at two in the second inning. Chris McLaughlin led off the frame with a single and scored on Brian Carrother’s base knock.

Hicks allowed back-to-back singles to open the second. With traffic on the basepaths and just one out, Mathis McKenna relieved Hicks and stranded the inherited baserunners for a clean frame.

The Mohawks continued to tack on, adding a run in the third on Rivera’s third long ball of the season.

The Stallions answered again in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs on three hits off McKenna.

The Mohawks offense exploded for four runs in the fourth inning. Reliever Nicholas Ballard took over on the mound and allowed a walk to McLaughlin after recording the first out of the inning. With two outs, the Mohawks bats awoke, Tyler Correa ripped an RBI single, Aiden Dill worked a four pitch walk and Rivera knocked in three on his second two-bagger of the game.

The back-and-forth continued, as the Stallions scored three in the bottom half of the fourth to knot the score at seven all.

After a clean fifth frame from both sides, the Stallions pulled ahead in the sixth with two runs on three hits.

The Mohawks continued to battle, tying the game once again in the eighth inning at nine a piece. Jace VanValken took the bump and dealt a single to McLaughlin and a walk to Brian Carrothers. Early traffic paid off; Dill cashed in on a two RBI single to right field.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Stallions rallied with two outs. Aiden Schmidt wore a pitch and took second on a bad pickoff attempt. The Mohawks intentionally walked Jack Beyl, setting up Gazzaway for the late-game theatrics. Gazzaway ripped the first pitch he saw to right field, scoring the game-winning run, walking off Amsterdam at home.

With the loss, the Mohawks fall to 0-2 on the season.

The Mohawks return home to face off against the Oneonta Outlaws on Tuesday, June 2. First pitch from Rao Family Stadium at Shuttleworth Park is set for 6:35 p.m.

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