By Leo Schaffer
As June comes to a close, the Amsterdam Mohawks are right where they started—at the top of the PGCBL East Division. After going 4-1 this week, the team continues to prove why they’re a serious contender for a fourth straight league title.
The week didn’t start off the way the Mohawks wanted. On Tuesday, they dropped a 6-2 game at home against the Saugerties Stallions. One of the biggest surprises was how quiet Stallions center fielder Lewis Rodriguez was—after tearing it up in earlier matchups, he was held to just one hit in five trips to the plate. Still, Saugerties got the job done thanks to Dylan Passo and Jamie Zee, who drove in five combined runs. Danny Perez and Bray Touchstone were the only Mohawks who got on the board.
Things turned around fast. On Wednesday, Amsterdam came back strong and beat Saugerties 10-3 on the road. Perez and designated hitter Alex Junghans each knocked in three runs. Junghans had a hit, a walk, and made the most of his chances while at the plate. On the mound, Zach Hernandez started and gave up just one run over four innings. Ariston Veasey came in after and picked up his second win of the year. Jack Kirchner and Derek Duval handled the late innings, with Duval locking it down in the ninth.
Thursday’s game was a fun one—an exhibition matchup against Troy from the Albany Twilight League. The Mohawks won 9-0, as Jon Young, Jr. hit a mammoth home run.
On Friday, the Mohawks pulled off a close 8-7 win in Oneonta. Touchstone and Ryan Schwartz came through in the clutch with four RBIs between them. Schwartz had three hits and is now batting .464, the best on the team. Parker Aikens got the win in relief after Tristan Hunter’s solid four-inning start. Amsterdam’s bullpen—Jesse Kuzmich, Manny Santos, and Duval—took care of the rest in another tight win.
The week wrapped up on Saturday with a 5-1 victory in Mohawk Valley. That makes the Mohawks 3-0 on the road against the DiamondDawgs this year. Will Cowan had a monster game with four hits, but the pitching really stood out. Tommy Skelding earned the win after throwing three innings, and Veasey followed with three more scoreless frames. Andy Cai and Duval closed it out, with Duval earning his second save in two days. He’s been lights out lately and is among the league leaders in ERA.
With half the season in the books, the Mohawks are sitting in a great spot. They lost just six games in all of June and are heading into July with their eyes on one goal: finishing strong and completing the “Grand Slam Season.”
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