By Nate Shoemaker
Box Score
Dill and Ezell’s Heroics Lead to Crucial Mohawk’s Comeback Win
Aiden Dill smacked an RBI single over the outstretched arms of Nick Croce, scoring Jordan Perry in the eighth inning, giving the Mohawks an 8-7 victory. Brandon Shea earned the save, retiring the Stallions in order for the first time all night.
Amsterdam looked dead in the water until Andrew Ezell crushed a three-run home run in the sixth inning, leading to a huge bounce-back win for the Mohawks. Ezell’s home run flipped the game upside down, and Dill’s home run robbery saved the game.
The game was back-and-forth with runs being scored left and right after the third inning. Both teams' batters came through in crucial moments, but Dill’s heroics gave the Mohawks the upper hand.
Saugerties only put up one hit through the first three innings and then exploded for five runs over the next three frames. Aiden Schdmit clobbered a two-run home run, and Matt Murtagh shut down the Mohawks' bats for the first four innings.
The Mohawks capitalized on a Stallions error to take a 1-0 lead, as Chris McLaughlin came around to score on a miscue by third baseman Jayden Hamilton. Warren Miller threw three shutout innings and had five strikeouts, keeping the Stallions bats quiet.
Saugerties put together a string of hits against new pitcher Toby Peterson and converted a Mohawks error to put two runs across. Aiden Schmidt continued to swing a hot bat with a laser over the left field wall, giving the Stallions a 4-1 advantage.
Amsterdam’s bats came alive in the bottom half with two runs, including a crucial RBI single from Ezell. Peterson continued to struggle, allowing his second home run of the night. Nick Croce launched a home run, and Ezell stood and watched as it flew over the left field fence.
The Mohawks didn't let the home run rattle them. Ezell responded with a three-home run after Angel Paulino left an off-speed pitch over the heart of the plate. The crowd erupted as Amsterdam grabbed back a 6-5 advantage. Gabriel Rivera made his mark driving in an insurance run with an RBI single, giving Amsterdam a two-run lead.
Runs continued to pour in from both sides as the Stallions trimmed the deficit to one. After fouling off four straight pitches, Michael Hanna lined a single up the middle, driving in Jack Beyl.
The Stallions gave themselves an opportunity to take the lead with Anthony Depetro walking to the plate. On the first pitch, Depetro mashed a ball to deep left center field. Dill took a few steps back and leapt at the wall. He came down with the ball, robbing a go-ahead home run. The crowd was quiet for a second and then went into a frenzy when they realized he had made the catch.
Saugerties pushed one run across on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Jayden Hamilton to tie the game at seven. Dill made a big play in the field and at the plate, as he hit an RBI single back up the middle, giving Amsterdam the upper hand. Shea finished the game, retiring the side as the Mohawks grabbed a crucial win two weeks before the playoffs.
On Wednesday, Amsterdam will head on the road to face the Boonville Lumberjacks. The Lumberjacks are 7.0 games out of a playoff spot, while the Mohawks hold a 7.0 game lead in the East Division. First Pitch is set for 6:45 p.m.
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