By Nate Shoemaker

Box Score

Nicholson Guides Mohawks to East Division Final

Taylor Belza homered, and Andrew Holub drove in three runs to provide the offense for Amsterdam. That was all Grant Nicholson needed as he hurled 5.0 strong innings with 11 strikeouts, leading to a 5-2 win.

The Mohawks scored five runs over the first three innings and never looked back. Amsterdam had four two-out RBIs and kept Oneonta off the base paths in their victory. Toby Peterson followed after Nicholson with a 4.0-inning save, tying for his longest outing of the season.

The Outlaws got themselves in trouble in the first inning after getting two outs with two walks and a miscue in the field. Andrew Holub made them pay with a bases-clearing double into the right field gap, giving Amsterdam a 3-0 advantage.

Amsterdam continued their timely hitting with a two-out single from Andrew Ezell driving in Zack Johnson. The Mohawks' first error cost them two runs as a low throw by Taylor Belza on a dropped third strike allowed Matt Mayer to score, while Auggie Maslo later came to the plate on a sacrifice fly.

Belza made up for his error with a blast to dead center field, making the score 5-2. Nicholson finished his outing in the fifth with a strikeout of Nolan Stark, stranding runners on second and third. Neither team scored over the next four innings, as the Mohawks were picked off twice by pitcher Braeden McNamee.

Peterson quieted the Outlaws with six strikeouts, while getting some help from Tyler Figeroua and Evan Taylor. Figeroua made a diving tag play to get Maslo in the eighth, and Taylor unleashed a cannon to cut down Stark in the ninth.

With the win, the Mohawks will advance to the East Division Final to host the Utica Blue Sox. Amsterdam defeated the Blue Sox in the season series 8-0. First pitch is set for 6:45.

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