Urbanski Fans 7 in Mohawks Win

By Bob Rotruck

Keith Skinner after hitting his 2-run home run

Schenectedy native Mike Urbanski (Binghamton Univ.) fanned seven
batters in just 3.1 perfect innings of relief work to lead the
Amsterdam Mohawks to a 4-3 victory over East Division rival Mohawk
Valley on Monday night at Shuttleworth Park.

The win was Amsterdam's eighth in their last ten games to give them a
record of 13-11 at the official midway point of the season for the
defending champions of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.
Amsterdam has played 24 games of their scheduled 48-game regular
season slate.

Urbanski retired all 10 DiamondDawgs batters he faced in his perfect
relief stint from the sixth through the ninth and cranked up seven big
strikeouts with his blazing fastball that touched 92 miles per hour on
several occasions on the radar-gun reading on the scoreboard.

Keith Skinner (Fairfield) hit his first home-run of the season in the
fourth inning. It was Amsterdam's 22nd long-ball of the year which is
the most in the league. 11 different Mohawks have now gone yard this
season for Keith Griffin's team.

Mohawk Valley was led by Landon Thiebodeaux (LSU Eunice) who had a
two-RBI single and a stolen base. Lanky 6'8" tall righty Gavin
Culpepper (SE Louisiana) was very good in taking the tough loss going
6.1 strong innings allowing just five hits and striking out three.

Also for the Dawgs, Dalton Harrington (Louisiana-Munroe) swiped his
league-leading 24th stolen base of the year. Jordan Serena (Columbia)
was 2-for-4 with a double and two steals.

The game was a topsy-turvy one with the teams exchanging the lead four
times. Mohawk Valley initially led 1-0 in the third inning. Then
Amsterdam pushed out in front 2-1 in the fourth. Mohawk Valley
regained the lead at 3-2 in the sixth. And then Amsterdam re-took the
lead for good in the seventh inning at 4-3.

The DiamondDawgs struck first against Colonie native Matt Snyder
(Fulton-Montgomery C.C.) in the third inning with Jordan Friend
(Alabama A&M) bringing in the first run via a sacrifice-fly.

Keith Skinner cleared the fence in right-field in the fourth inning a
couple batters after Dylan Smith (Auburn) had singled for a two-run
shot giving Amsterdam a 2-1 advantage.

Mohawk Valley re-took the lead in the sixth with a two-run single by
Landon Thiebodeaux scoring runners from second and third with two outs
on the last batter Snyder would face.

Amsterdam's game-winning rally in the bottom of the seventh inning
came via only one base-hit, three free-passes, and one wild pitch.
After a walk, a single by Kyle Barrett (Kentucky) and a sac-bunt by
Josh Gardiner (Radford), the DiamondDawgs would intentionally walk
hot-hitting John Nogowski (Florida State) to load the bases.

The next pitch by Gavin Culpepper would be his last. He hit Jordan
Ebert (Auburn) in the back to force in the tying run making the score
3-3.

Relief pitcher Zach Williams (UC Davis) then threw a wild pitch
allowing Barrett to come home with what would prove to be the
game-winning run. Williams cranked it up and struckout recently named
PGCBL Player of the Week Dylan Smith and then Shane Zimmer to work out
of the tough situation with minimal damage.

But the one-run lead for Amsterdam was enough for Urbanski who didn't
allow a single base-runner in his 3.1 innings and practically cruised
through the Mohawk Valley lineup to the finish-line.

Mohawk Valley fell back to .500 with the loss at 10-10 as they dropped
back-to-back games to Amsterdam in the two-game home-and-home series.
Amsterdam won at Mohawk Valley on Sunday 7-3 in a rain-shortened
six-inning game to begin the two-game set.

The game was played in a very light rain from the sixth through ninth
innings but never had to be delayed. The teams were ever to beat a
more steady rain which began to fall about a half-hour after the last
out was recorded. Amsterdam has played more games than any other team
in the league meaning they have had the fewest rainouts in the PGCBL
this year.

Amsterdam now opens a home-and-home series with the top team in the
league, the #22 nationally ranked Glens Falls Golden Eagles. The
Mohawks travel to East Field in the North Country Tuesday night at
7:00 with Matt Ternowchek (Notre Dame) scheduled to start for the
visitors.

The Mohawks return home Wednesday night, again taking on Glens Falls,
with a post-game Fireworks Spectacular presented by the Rotary.
Amsterdam will also feature a post-game fireworks celebration on
Friday night following ParkFest Day presented by the Wasserman
Foundation.

The Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs return to Veterans Memorial Park in
Little Falls for back-to-back home games this Tuesday and Wednesday
against the Utica Brewers and Adirondack Trail Blazers.

MV 001 002 000 - 3 5 2 (3)
AM 000 200 20x - 4 7 1 (7)

W - Mike Urbanski (2-2)
L - Gavin Culpepper (2-2
S - None

HR
AM - Keith Skinner (1)

Doubles
MV - Jordan Serena

Time - 2:34
Att - 697

Records -
Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs: 11-11
Amsterdam Mohawks: 13-11

League Champs

Urbanski Fans 7 in Mohawks Win