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Mohawks smash Outlaws, 10-1, in Oneonta

(Picture courtesy Jon Sargalis.)

By John McGraw

Box Score

ONEONTA, N.Y. – The Amsterdam Mohawks scored 10 runs over the first five innings to defeat the Oneonta Outlaws, 10-1, on Saturday night at Damaschke Field in front of 1,924 fans. The fourth nationally-ranked Mohawks (26-7) won their 14th-straight road game and completed a regular season series’ sweep of the Outlaws, four games to none. With the win, Amsterdam maintained its’ 6.5-game lead on second-place Mohawk Valley in the league standings.

Amsterdam’s 10 runs scored on 18 hits. The Mohawks have belted out 18 hits in each of their last two road games against Oneonta and Newark.

Oneonta starting pitcher, David Sosebee (Georgia), who entered the night with a 4-0 record and 2.03 earned run average, was knocked out of the game after allowing seven runs on 12 hits in four innings of work.

Keith Griffin’s offense benefited from strong situational hitting as the Mohawks scored six of their 10 runs with two outs. Chase Green (SIU Edwardsville) and Josh Nethaway (UAlbany) belted back-to-back RBI singles in the first with two outs to spot Amsterdam a 2-0 lead. Zak Colby (Faulkner) beat out a potential inning-ending double play in the fifth to plate Ed Charlton (NJIT) with the Mohawks’ fifth run on a fielders’ choice. Colby, Ed Charlton (NJIT) and Giuseppe Papaccio (Seton Hall) each hit a two-out RBI single in a fifth to round out Amsterdam’s offensive fireworks.

Amsterdam’s four second-inning runs were manufactured on five-straight hits to start the inning and one Oneonta error. Giuseppe Papaccio drove in two of the four runs when he socked a two-RBI double into center field.

Meanwhile, Amsterdam’s Matt Pirro (Wake Forest) turned in his best start of the season. Pirro shut out the Outlaws for the first five innings while the Mohawks built up a 10-0 cushion. He yielded a single score in the sixth. Pirro scattered five hits, walked two and struck out five to improve to 4-0. Dan Zlotnick (Marist) added one scoreless inning of relief and Chase Williamson (Auburn) finished the game with back-to-back shutout frames. The threesome combined to strand 11 Oneonta runners on base.

Eight of nine Amsterdam starters recorded at least one hit.

Chase Green (SIU Edwardsville) went 4-for-5 with one RBI. Green made his 30th start of the summer and he has not yet missed a game for the Mohawks.  

Ed Charlton (NJIT) and Giuseppe Papaccio (Seton Hall) each had three hits. Charlton reached base four times and scored four runs. Papaccio drove in three runs and scored two others.

Demarcus Henderson (Mississippi State) turned in a solid performance from the nine spot for the Mohawks as he went 3-for-5 and scored two runs.

Co-PGCBL Player of the Week Zak Colby (Faulkner) added two hits in five at-bats and drove in two runs.

Evan Stephens (Wake Forest), the league’s leading hitter with a .440 batting average, played in center field but did not record a plate appearance.

Orlando Rivera (State College of Florida) paced Oneonta with three hits. Cody Hough (UC Riverside) doubled twice for the Outlaws and the first of his two doubles plated Heath Holder (Georgia) in the sixth inning after a two-out triple.

Amsterdam outscored Oneonta, 26-11, in four games this season however the first three meetings were all decided by two runs or less.

In back-to-back road games, Amsterdam has reeled off 26 runs on 36 hits. The Mohawks scored a season high16 runs at Newark on Wednesday night in a 16-12 victory at Colburn Park.

Saturday marked the 20th time this season that the Mohawks have reached double digits in hits.

Amsterdam’s road winning streak of 14 games is the longest in the league. The Mohawks have not officially lost an away game since an 11-8 defeat at Glens Falls on June 8.

The Mohawks return to Shuttleworth Park on Sunday, July 15, to take on the Watertown Wizards for the second time in four days. The Mohawks defeated the Wizards, 8-5, on Thursday night behind a three-run home run from Jeff Limbaugh (Parkland).

Sunday night is Fitness Night at Shuttleworth Park sponsored by Alpin Haus Fitness. There will be a Pre-Game 5K Race sponsored by Rick’s RoBo Car Wash. There will also be an appearance by Olympic swimmers. Game time against Watertown is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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