By John McGraw
Box Score
ALBANY, N.Y. – Ed Charlton (NJIT) extended his league and team record hitting streak to 24 games however the Albany Dutchmen used a three-run home run from Will Remillard (Coastal Carolina) to defeat the Amsterdam Mohawks, 3-2, on Monday night at Bob Bellizzi Field.
Despite the loss, Amsterdam clinched the 2012 Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League regular season championship by virtue of Oneonta’s 6-3 win over Glens Falls at Damaschke Field. Both second place Glens Falls and Mohawk Valley trail Amsterdam by eight games in the league standings with seven games remaining on the Mohawks’ schedule. Neither team can mathematically catch Amsterdam. The Mohawks will be the top seed in the upcoming PGCBL postseason and will have home-field advantage as long as they are in the playoffs.
Amsterdam’s first playoff home game will be on Friday, Aug. 3 against an opponent to be determined in Game 1 of the best-of-three league semifinals. Amsterdam would host a potential Game 3 at Shuttleworth Park on Sunday, Aug. 5.
Ed Charlton singled in his very first at-bat in the top of the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 24-straight games. He finished 2-for-4 with two singles.
Albany’s Will Remillard broke a scoreless tie in the third inning with a three-run home run to left field. While three Amsterdam pitchers combined to hold Albany scoreless for the next five innings, that is all of the offense the Dutchmen would need.
Albany starting pitcher David Stagg (Heartland C.C.) held the Mohawks to two runs on eight hits over five innings and struck out eight. Stagg stranded eight Amsterdam men in base in the first five innings. Four Albany relievers combined to pitch the final four innings and none of the four allowed a single hit. Closer Trevor Lacosse (Bryant) struck out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth inning.
Amsterdam threatened against Albany’s David Stagg on several occasions but the Mohawks were only able to push runs across in the fifth inning. In the fifth, Amsterdam loaded the bases with no outs and a lead-off walk to Giuseppe Papaccio (Seton Hall) and back-to-back hits by Zak Colby (Faulkner) and Jeff Boehm (Kentucky). With one out, Papaccio dashed home on a wild pitch with Amsterdam’s first run of the game. D.J. Hoagboon (UAlbany) followed with a ground out to the right side that plated Zak Colby. Potential tying run Jeff Boehm was stranded on third when David Stagg recoded his eighth strikeout to end the inning.
The Mohawks out-hit the Dutchmen 8-5 in a game that lasted two hours and 53 minutes.
Ed Charlton, Jeff Boehm and D.J. Hoagboon each had two hits for the Mohawks.
Starting pitcher Dan Zlotnick (Marist) gave up just three Albany hits through four innings. He walked four, struck out three and stranded four Dutchmen on base.
Dennis Buckley (Hudson Valley C.C.) added three scoreless innings of relief in his second appearance of the summer. Chris Kalica (Fairfield), one of the newest additions to the Mohawks along with outfielder Keaton Flint (Sacred Heart), did not allow a run in the eighth.
The Remillard brothers, who will play for Team Griffin on Tuesday night in the PGCBL All-Star Game at Shuttleworth Park, accounted for nearly all of Albany’s offense. Will Remillard slugged a three-run home run in the fourth inning. Zach Remillard (LaSalle Institute) went 2-for-4 and he was on base when older brother Will hit his game-winning home run.
Shuttleworth Park will play host to the 2012 Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League All-Star Game on Tuesday night. The Home Run Derby is scheduled to begin at 6:05 p.m. and the All-Star Game will follow at 7:05 p.m. The full list of activities will be available tomorrow on the league web site.
The Mohawks return to action on Wednesday, July 25, against the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs at Veterans Memorial Park in Little Falls. Amsterdam is 7-1 against Mohawk Valley this season.
The next home game at Shuttleworth Park is scheduled for Friday, July 27, against the Glens Falls Golden Eagles. There will be a Spectacular Post-Game Fireworks Show presented by St. Mary’s Hospital. It will also be Lazarou Insurance and Financial Services Night with free tickets and give-aways including a giant flat-screen television. There will also be a Happy Hour with live entertainment from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. as well as $5 Haircuts for charity sponsored by Bella Vita Salon. Friday night will also be Quackenbush for Assembly Night sponsored by Tom Quackenbush.
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