By Bob Rotruck
Box Score
The Albany Dutchmen thrived on great pitching by starter Matt Snyder (Virginia Tech) in topping the nationally ranked #4 Amsterdam Mohawks 6-2 on Tuesday night in Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League action. It had been some pretty close calls for Albany against their area rivals this year but the Tuesday night triumph for the Dutchmen at Shuttleworth Park was their first victory against Amsterdam in six tries this season.
Albany evens their record at 14-14 with the victory as they move just a half-game back of the Newark Pilots for the all-important fourth-place spot which will be the last playoff spot when the end of the regular season comes around. Albany has won three of their past four to push their record to .500 and climb into the thick of the playoff chase.
First-place Amsterdam at 23-6 holds a seven game lead over Glens Falls in the PGCBL with 19 games remaining in the regular season.
Snyder (1-2) was terrific in his best game and first win of the season as he silenced the top offense in the league lasting seven strong innings giving up just four hits and only one earned run while striking out four. Kasceim Graham (U. Albany) and Trevor Lacosse (Bryant) fired shutout ball in the eighth and ninth to close out the win.
In so doing, Snyder ended high-flying Amsterdam's streak of seven consecutive games scoring seven or more runs. His pitching success against the Mohawks came right on the heels of Amsterdam's biggest offensive night of the year in which they banged out a season-high 23 hits in a 16-8 victory over Cooperstown on Sunday.
Taylor Martin (Kentucky) started for the Mohawks and took the loss to fall to 2-2 as he gave up three earned runs on eight hits in five innings of work.
Zach Remmilard (Lasalle Institute) continued his hot success going 3-for-5 with three runs driven in to lead the Albany Dutchmen attack including a big two-run double in the eighth inning pushing the Dutchmen 4-2 advantage up to 6-2.
Evan Stephens (Wake Forest) returned to the Mohawks lineup following an injury last week and went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. He raised his amazing league-leading batting average to .459 in the process.
Zak Colby (Faulkner) was 2-for-4 with his 12th double of the season in his first game after being named PGCBL Co-Player of the Week yesterday.
Brian Ruby (Binghamton) extended his hitting streak to five games since joining the team last week by going 2-for-4.
The Mohawks had their three-game win streak ended.
The game was the sixth out of 10 this season between the area rivals who don't meet again for a couple weeks when the Mohawks travel to Bob Bellizzi Field in Albany on Monday, July 23 in the last game before the PGCBL All-Star Game on July 24 at Shuttleworth Park.
The Dutchmen are back at home on Wednesday night hosting the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs.
Amsterdam hits the road to travel to Newark on Wednesday in the first meeting of the 2011 finalists this year. The last time they played was when Newark ended Amsterdam's bid to win a third straight league crown.
The Mohawks are back at home on Thursday and Friday against the Watertown Wizards and Glens Falls Golden Eagles back to back. Thursday night is All You Can Eat Night for $10.
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