For the fifth straight year, like a highly anticipated heavyweight title fight rematch, the Yankees-Red Sox, Cubs-Cardinals, Dodgers-Giants level rivalry that in the PGCBL has become the Amsterdam Mohawks and Saugerties Stallions. Friday’s East Division Final at Rao Family Stadium would determine who would go on to face the Batavia Muckdogs in the PGCBL Championship.
The Mohawks had been victorious in this game in 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024, while the Stallions swept both games of the PGCBL Championship over the Mohawks in 2021. This season the Mohawks had a 6-4-1 edge in the season series, with the Stallions winning the last matchup on Sunday by a score of 14-6.
Zach Hernandez (Belmont) started for the Mohawks while Dan Galef (Franklin & Marshall) was on the mound for the Stallions.
The starters would match each other pitch for pitch. The Mohawks would threaten in the first as Chris Hoalcraft reached third, but a lucky ground ball found third basemen Brandon Fish right behind the bag and a rundown ensued which claimed Hoalcraft.
Amsterdam would threaten again in the second with runners at second and third, but Galef got the strikeout to end the inning and end the threat.
Things stayed knotted at zero into the sixth. Zach Hernandez recorded the first out and then surrendered a single to Dylan Passo. A failed pickoff attempt moved Passo to third and Logan Sanchez walked which prompted Keith Griffin to turn to his secret weapon in the bullpen. James Redick, who had been one of the best pitches in the league entered with one out and the go-ahead run on third. He induced a pop out and a fielder’s choice to end the inning without any drama and kept the game tied.
Zach Hernandez finished the game with 5.1 innings pitched, 0 runs, 4 hits, 1 walk and 3 strikeouts.
Dan Galef allowed two runners to reach base in the bottom of the sixth but held the Mohawks off the board again in his final inning as the game would be decided by the bullpens. Galef’s final line would be 6 innings, 0 runs, 5 hits, 2 walks and 4 strikeouts.
The game was now in the hands of James Redick and Matthew Murtaugh and the scoreless deadlock moved into the eighth inning. With runners on the corners and 2 outs in the top of the eighth, Derek Duval entered to face Logan Sanchez and got an inning ending ground out to keep the illustrious first run off the board.
The scoreless drama entered the ninth inning and Jamie Zee deposited a single to left off Derek Duval to begin the inning. Griffin Crain pinch-hit and put down a sacrifice bunt move Zee over to second. Adonis Medina stepped in and hit a line drive to left field, Luke Costello made a diving attempt but only managed to trap the ball and it put runners on the corners. George Baker then delivered the big blow; a deep fly ball to right field, that was caught, but deep enough to score Jamie Zee and give the Stallions a 1-0 lead in the ninth inning.
The fate of the Mohawks season came down to the final three outs as Matthew Murtaugh remained on the mound for his third inning looking to get the Stallions into the PGCBL Championship for the first time since 2021.
With their backs against the wall, Brandon McCraine lined a double to right center to lead off the inning. Brett Rowell was then hit by a pitch to put the winning run on base. McCraine stole third and the tying run was 90 feet away. Murtaugh recovered with a strikeout for the first out and John McKillop stepped in. With a full count McKillop ripped a ground ball that deflected off the glove of a diving Dylan Passo at first and brought home McCraine to tie the game. Murtaugh didn’t let the tying run effect him for the rest of the inning as he recovered and recorded the final 2 outs to force the elimination game into extra innings.
In the tenth, Duval recorded the first out and then allowed two base runners. Cole Miller entered the game and struck out the first batter he faced. Then a double steal moved the go-ahead run to third, but Miller got a popout to keep the game tied.
Matthew Murtaugh returned for his fourth inning of work in the tenth inning. Chris Hoalcraft led off with a line drive single past a diving Brandon Fish at third base and into left field. Sebastian Harden tried to bunt Hoalcraft to second but fouled off the 2-strike attempt for a strikeout. Bray Touchstone put a single into left center, Hoalcraft got aggressive and tried to take third, but center fielder Lewis Rodriguez threw a strike to the base as Fish got the tag down to tag out Hoalcraft. Luke Costello drew a walk to move the winning run over to second. Brandon McCraine, who began the ninth inning rally stepped in again. McCraine hit a grounder up the middle that was fielded by second basemen Jamie Zee. Expecting the close play at first, Bray Touchstone rounded third and broke for the plate, but a bobble by Zee allowed him enough time to see Touchstone coming home and the throw to the plate ended in inning and extended the game into the eleventh.
Cole Miller came back out and faced Jamie Zee who led off the inning with a single. Griffin Crain laid down a perfect bunt into no man’s land on the right side and suddenly the Stallions had 2 on with no outs. Cole Miller struck Adonis Medina out as he fell behind in the count trying to get a bunt down. George Baker hit a grounder up the middle that was fielded by Chris Hoalcraft and tossed to Jon Young, Jr. as Crain was out at second, but before the throw could be attempted for the inning ending double play, Crain slid into Young and prevented the throw to first. Keith Griffin came out to argue interference, but to no avail. Miller got Casey Cumiskey into an 0-2 hole, but he evened the count at 2-2 and got a pitch he could hit and drove a single into left field that brought Jamie Zee home with the go-ahead run. Two pitches later, Brandon Fish singled to left center and the Stallions now had a 3-1 lead. Mason Veronezi entered the game and recorded the final out to send the game to the bottom of the eleventh.
Jake Martino entered the game for the save opportunity. Brad Curtis hit a grounder to second that Jamie Zee couldn’t handle. Will Cowan flew out to center for the first out and John McKillop drew a walk to put the tying run on base. Martino struck out Jon Young, Jr. for the second out. Peyton Jemison stepped in as the Mohawks final hope, he hit a grounder to third, Brandon Fish fielded it cleanly, he could’ve tagged third or tagged out Brad Curtis, who held up despite being forced to third, but instead threw the ball to first and threw it away. Brad Curtis scored to make it 3-2, the tying run in McKillop moved up to third and the winning run in Jemison was at second. Chris Hoalcraft came to the plate, but Jake Martino stepped up and put the team on his back, striking out Hoalcraft, ending the Mohawks season and putting the Stallions in the Championship.
This is the first time since 2017 the PGCBL Championship will not feature the Mohawks as the Saugerties Stallions will host the Batavia Muckdogs in Game 1 of the Championship tomorrow at Cantine Field. This is the second time the Stallions have played in the Championship since defeating the Mohawks in 2021. This is also the Muckdogs second time in the PGCBL Championship as they lost 2 games to 1 to the Mohawks in 2022.