With an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth, Joe Genord (South Florida) drove in his 42nd run of the season, breaking a 16-year old record. The double led the way for Amsterdam as they defeated the Glens Falls Dragons 5-3 at Shuttleworth Park on Tuesday night.
Both starting pitchers matched each other for the first three innings. Cameron Enck (Maryland) got the start for Amsterdam and lowered his league-leading ERA even further by going six scoreless innings, allowing four hits, walking two, and striking out three. Glens Falls starter John Bednarek (St. Thomas Aquinas) managed three scoreless innings before running into trouble.
With his team leading 1-0, Nick Patten (Delaware) took a 1-0 fastball deep to left for his third home run of the season to start off the bottom of the fifth. Three batters later, Marcus Still (New Mexico State) deposited his first home run of the season to the same part of the park to put Amsterdam up 3-0.
The Mohawks added on in the seventh. Patten worked a leadoff walk, stole second, and advanced to third on a groundout. Still reached on an error by the third baseman to extend the inning and allow Patten to score.
The Dragons broke the shutout in the eighth. Hunter Szaflarski (Lock Haven) led off with a single and Brian Uliana (Rider) followed with a double to put runners on second and third. Chris Kwitzer (Buffalo) singled to right to make it 4-1. The Mohawks had Kwitzer picked off of first, but a drop during the rundown allowed him to advance and Uliana swiped home to make it 4-2.
In the bottom of the eighth, Chris Givin (Xavier) reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a groundout. Tristen Carranza (New Mexico State) followed with a deep drive to left that hit off the top of the wall fooling the sound guy at Shuttleworth into playing the home run music. Carranza broke into a trot, and was tagged out at second, but not before driving in Givin to make it 5-2.
Glens Falls tried to rally in the ninth. After a hit by pitch, walk, and single loaded the bases with no outs, Garrett Bye (South Florida) was brought in to seal the deal. Kwitzer lofted a sacrifice fly to left to bring in Evan Harasta (UAlbany), cutting the deficit to 5-3. However, Bye struck out the next two hitters in order to end the game.
With the loss, Glens Falls was eliminated from playoff contention. With Mohawk Valley’s doubleheader sweep of Saugerties and the win for Amsterdam, the Mohawks can clinch the East Division with a Mohawk Valley loss or a win in any of their five remaining games.
On the mound, Enck picked up the win to improve to 5-1 on season and lowered his ERA to an impressive 0.39. The loss went to Bednarek, who dropped to 2-4 on the season. Bye picked up his first save of the season.
Amsterdam has the day off on Wednesday before traveling to Damaschke Field for a doubleheader against the Oneonta Outlaws on Thursday beginning at 5 p.m. Glens Falls will host the Elmira Pioneers at East Field on Wednesday at 7 p.m.