By Cody Marshall

Box Score

A would-be pop out turned botched catch in the bottom of the ninth allowed the Amsterdam Mohawks to defeat the Newark Pilots, 5-4, at Shuttleworth Park on Sunday night.

Handsome Monica (Arizona) lifted an 0-2 pitch along the first base line, forcing the Newark battery mates to give chase. After some miscommunication, the ball glanced off a glove and fell to the turf, allowing Drew Freedman (Wake Forest) to score the winning run.

 Freedman finished the game 1-for-3 with a double, run scored, and an RBI. Hunter Tackett (Auburn) recorded the only other RBI for Amsterdam on a night where he went 1-for-4 with a single and run scored.

 In the top of the first, Cody Wiktorski (St. John Fisher) slugged a one out triple and scored a batter later on Willy Yahn’s (UConn) groundout to short to put Newark up 1-0. That lead would hold until the bottom of the fourth when Aidan McDermott (St. John’s) worked a two-out walk and advanced to third on Macy Holdsworth’s (Indiana) double. McDermott would come in on a wild pitch and Holdsworth would score on Freedman’s ensuing double to put Amsterdam up 2-1.

The Mohawks got insurance in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, Riley Mahan (Kentucky) singled and stole second before scoring on Tackett’s single. After stealing second, Tackett advanced the rest of the way on two wild pitches to make it 4-1 Amsterdam, but Newark wouldn’t go away.

In the top of the eighth, Wiktorski led off with a walkand advanced to third when Mark Martin (Le Moyne) reached on an error. Gabe Levanti (Northeastern) followed with an RBI single to right. The ensuing throw was wild and allowed Martin to go to third and Levanti to take second. Both scored three batters later when James Baer (Delta College) grounded to second and a high throw sailed into the Mohawks dugout, tying the game at four.

In the bottom of the ninth, Freedman worked a one-out walk and stole second. Mahan reached after being hit by a pitch and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. After intentionally walking Brendan Tracy (Fairfield) with two outs to load the bases, Monica lifted the pop up that would seal the deal.

Anthony Romanelli (Marist) picked up his third win of the season out of the bullpen to improve to 3-0. The loss was charged to Newark reliever Kevin Berge (St. John Fisher), who dropped to 0-1.

Amsterdam will look to continue their winning streak when they head to Bellizzi Field Monday night to face the Albany Dutchmen at 7:05 p.m. Newark (10-13) will look to bounce back at home with the chance to sweep a doubleheader against the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs. Game one is set to begin at 5:05 p.m.
 

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