By Brandon Hillier
Rich Vrana (Marist) delivers a pitch as he improves to 6-0 on the season
In 17 innings and five and a half hours of baseball, the Amsterdam Mohawks shut down the Utica Brewers. On the day, Utica scored only one run and had only seven hits against Mohawks pitching. Amsterdam took game one of the unconventional doubleheader at Shuttleworth Park by a score of 8-3. In the second game, starter Rich Vrana (Marist) and company allowed only three hits en route to a 5-0 win in front of a Friday night fireworks crowd of 1,487.
The Lindenhurst, New York native, Vrana started out game two of the twin bill retiring all nine batters through the first three innings. He lasted six innings, striking out six and allowing only two hits.
Ed Charlton (NJIT) finished off game two continuing his hot hitting over the last few days. Charlton went 3-4 including a double, a triple, a RBI and a stolen base. He also came around to score twice. Dylan Smith (Auburn) went 0-2 but walked twice and scored both times. Josh Gardiner (Radford) also had a good game going 2-3 with 2 RBIs and a walk.
Matt Hendricks (Rollins) started the second game for the Brewers and lasted five innings. He struck out three, but gave up two walks, two earned runs on six hits. The offense for Utica was nearly non-existent. Michael Pierson (Appalachian St) had three of Utica's five hits, going 3-4 with three singles.
Amsterdam jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning. Ed Charlton doubled and Dylan Smith (Auburn) walked to get on. Josh Gardiner drove them both in with a single to left.
Amsterdam score on more in the sixth on a Shane Zimmer RBI single to left. Mohawks tacked on two more in the seventh. Kevin Guthrie (Brown) led off with a single to right and advanced to second when the ball got passed Utica's rightfielder. Ed Charlton drove Guthrie in when Charlton hit a bomb to left center and got all the way to third with a stand-up triple. Charlton then came in on a John Nogowski (Florida State) ground out to first base.
The Mohawks' bullpen combination of Zach Quayle (Ave Maria) and Chris Kalica (St. John's) shut down the Brewers after Vrana. Quayle went two innings allowing one hit and striking out one. Kalica pitched a shut-out ninth striking out one and walking one.
Amsterdam took game one after trailing 2-0 before one pitch was even thrown. The game was a continuation from June 6th that was rained out. The Mohawks scored one run in the second inning, five in the fifth and two more in the sixth. Utica's only run of the day was on a Jay Gonzalez home run in the sixth inning.
The Amsterdam Mohawks travel to Glens Falls tomorrow for another doubleheader. The first game against the Golden Eagles is scheduled to start at 5:05 PM. Both games are a conventional doubleheader, lasting seven innings apiece.
The Utica Brewers, after back-to-back doubleheaders, travel back home to take on the first place Watertown Rams at 7:05.
Game 1
R H E (LOB)
UB 200 001 000 3 4 1 (4)
AM 010 052 00X 8 6 0 (6)
W - Zach Breen (1-0)
L - Hunter McIntosh (3-4)
S - None
Extra Base Hits:
Doubles: AM Ruby, Wenzel, Nogowski
Homeruns: UB Gonzalez
Game Time:
Game 2
R H E (LOB)
UB 000 000 000 0 5 3 (2)
AM 200 001 20X 5 10 0 (6)
Records
Utica - 14-25
Amsterdam - 27-16
Pitching
W - Rich Vrana (6-0)
L - Matt Hendricks (0-1)
S - None
Extra Base Hits
Doubles: Charlton
Triples: Charlton
Homeruns: None
Attendance: 1487
Game Length: 2:32
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