By Leo Schaffer
The second month of the PGCBL regular season has officially begun, and the Amsterdam Mohawks continued finding ways to win. The Mohawks went 4-1-0 last week amid weather concerns around the holiday weekend.
Monday’s game in Utica was the only game Amsterdam did not win. However, both teams were tied at the end of 10 innings with four runs each. Brandon McCraine and Will Cowan had the only two RBI’s on this occasion; the other two runs came off of errors against the Blue Sox. Pitching-wise, Zak Spurrier went through five innings, only allowing two runs. Mason Veronezi pitched the next two, and gave up another. Manny Santos pitched a scoreless eighth, and Joey Gecewicz allowed the game-tying run in the ninth to send the game to extras. Sam Falace was called in for the tenth inning, and did not give up a run. However, the Mohawks offense could not score in the final inning, which gave them their first tie of the season.
Amsterdam got back on track with a 11-8 win against Saugerties the next day. The Mohawks had a 13 hit performance, with Cowan totaling three of his own. Two of those hits by the shortstop were for extra bases. Cowan, McCraine, and Bray Touchstone each finished with two RBI’s. Chris Hoalcraft and Sebastian Harden added to the tally with 1 RBI apiece. On the bump, six pitchers were used, with Jack Kirchner making a four inning start. The Jersey native gave up four hits, and only one run. James Redick gave up the next two in the fifth and sixth innings. Cole Miller pitched a scoreless seventh, and got his first win of the year. Nolan Feidt only lasted one out in the eighth after giving up three runs, so Derek Duvall came in to try to finish the game. He lasted through the middle of the ninth because he gave up an earned run, and the Mohawks let up a run through an error. Parker Aikens pitched the last out of the ninth inning, earning his first save of the season after making a few starts for the team.
Thursday’s game in Glens Falls was postponed due to inclement weather, so Sunday’s contest ended up being a doubleheader. It marked the second doubleheader for Amsterdam this season, and this one was a clean sweep.
The first win was powered by Wes Walker, who led the way with three hits and two RBI’s. McCraine, Cowan, and Danny Perez had an RBI each. Only three pitchers were used in the seven inning showcase. Tristan Hunter got the start, and the win for the Mohawks. He pitched four innings, and gave up one earned run, while the other was through an error. Miller pitched a shutout in the fifth and sixth, and Veronezi got the save in a scoreless seventh.
Game number two was an offensive showcase by Amsterdam. In a 9-1 win, Brad Curtis and Alex Junghans led the way, each with two RBI’s. Hoalcraft, Perez, and Jon Young Jr also contributed with RBI’s of their own. This game was also a memorable one for James Redick, only giving up one hit in his four inning start. He would go on to earn his second win of the season, as Joe Gold pitched a one run fifth inning, and Feidt pitched a two-inning shutout to cap off the week.
The Mohawks remain in first place of the PGCBL East after a solid first week of July. Only three more weeks to go until the playoffs begin, and the chase for the fourth championship in a row amplifies.
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