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Adirondack Escapes Amsterdam

By Bob Rotrck

Box Score     ScoreCast     Audio

The Adirondack Trail Blazers pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the
hat as the Amsterdam Mohawks escaped Shuttleworth Park with a 7-6
victory on Saturday night. Amsterdam had the bases loaded with nobody
out in the bottom of the ninth inning but Trail Blazers closer Kevin
Sweeney (Northern Illinois) miraculously preserved the victory with a
strikeout and double-play ball. He also stranded to runners on base in
the eighth cutting short the Mohawks rally in that inning as well.

The Trail Blazers are a new team this year to the Perfect Game
Collegiate Baseball League located in Boonville, N.Y. They improve to
3-3 with the victory. Defending League Champion Amsterdam falls to
2-5.

Chris Divarco (Northern Illinois) had a two-run double and went
2-for-3 with a pair of walks and one run scored for the Trail Blazers.
Mike Parsons (Rider) was 2-for-4 with a stolen base, one RBI and two
runs scored.

Keith Ryan (Ave Maria) threw two innings of shutout relief for his
first victory as he set the stage for the Adirondack comeback and
their four-run rally in the seventh. And Chris Sweeney recorded a
six-out save including his fantastic finish at the end.

Adirondack turned four double-plays including one to win the game at the end.

Alex Gagne (Maine) was the losing pitcher for the Mohawks. Devin
Wenzel (Cincnnati) socked an rbi double and scored a run for
Amsterdam. Ed Charlton (NJIT) was 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run. Brian
Ruby was also 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored.

But it was Charlton and Ruby who were not able to convert on the
biggest opportunities of the night for the Mohawks. Charlton bounced
into a double-play in the second when the bases were loaded. And he
struck out in the eighth with the tying and go-ahead men in scoring
position.

Ruby bounced into a double-play at the end of the game and was beaten
by a whisker on the relay as the Mohawks just missed equalizing.

Amsterdam raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first against starter Matt
Engler (Mohawk Valley C.C.) including back-to-back RBI doubles by
Shane Zimmer (Canisius) and Devin Wenzel.

Adirondack quickly recovered two of those runs in the top of the
second on Divarco's blast to the gap in left-center. And they tied the
game at 3-3 in the third in a Mike Parsons rbi knock.

The Mohawks re-took the lead at 4-3 in the fourth taking advantage of
an Adirondack error and eventually bringing around Ruby to score.

Amsterdam maintained the 4-3 lead until the seventh when the Trail
Blazers would strike four times in an extended rally. A pair of hits
to start it off followed by a couple of groundout ribbies made it 5-4
in favor of the visitors.

A couple more hits and a walk loaded the bases setting up a costly
Mohawks error when Amsterdam catcher Kevin Guthrie (Brown) threw the
ball wildly trying to pick-off the runner at first. A good throw
almost certainly would have nabbed him but instead that error plus a
wild pitch would boost Adirondack's lead to 7-4.

Amsterdam sliced into the lead in the eighth with three walks and a
hit batter against Adirondack hurler Chris Rheaume (Ave Maria). But
Kevin Sweeney entered to begin his six-out save. He put away the next
three batters in order allowing just one more run to scored on a
ground-out. Charlton struck-out leaving runners stranded at second and
third and the Mohawks trailed 7-6.

Sweeney walked a batter and then plunked back-to-back hitters as
Amsterdam loaded up the bases with nobody out. But a strikeout of
Guthrie and a double-play that got Ruby ended the game.

Amsterdam plays a doubleheader at Glens Falls Sunday at 5:00 with
Logan Fullmer and TBA scheduled as the starters. The Mohawks return to
Shuttleworth Park Wednesday night against Elmira. Friday night's
Amsterdam home game is another Fireworks Night.

Adirondack is on the road Sunday evening at 7:00 traveling to the
Utica Brewers. They return to "The Smith" on Tuesday when they host
the Mohawks in a rematch.


AT 021 000 400 - 7 10 3 (11)
AM 300 100 020 - 6 10 4 (10)

W - Keith Ryan (1-0)
L - Alex Gagne (0-1)
S - Kevin Sweeney (1)

Doubles:
AT: Chris Divarco, Luke Emling
AM: Devin Wenzel, Shane Zimmer, Colin Gay

HR:
None

Records:
Adirondack Trail Blazers (3-3)
Amsterdam Mohawks (2-5)

Time: 3:12
Att - 960

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