By John Vicari
LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – The Albany Dutchmen (26-16-1) took two from the first place Amsterdam Mohawks (32-13) winning game one 9-2 and game two 11-3.
In the first game, scoring began in the bottom of the first with a two-run single for Tommy Pellis (Seton Hill). In the third Albany added a third run after Justin Bench (Ole Miss) scored after a Dale Stanavich (Herkimer CC) balk. Through four innings the score was 3-0 Dutchmen.
Aaron Dona (St. Thomas Aquinas) started the game and gave a masterful performance. He allowed only one hit through the first five innings.
The bottom of the fifth began with two singles from Pellis and Bench. A ground-rule double from Aaron Roose (Azuza Pacific) plated one run. Chris Seng (Louisville) walked to bring home the third run. With the bases loaded and Josh Hall (Ole Miss) up the game was delayed due to lightning.
Play resumed 30 minutes later and Hall delivered a two-run single to right field. Dona began the sixth after pitching last about an hour prior. Dona allowed two singles and two walks in the frame which brought home two runs. Dona finished with six innings pitched allowing four hits, two runs and had six strikeouts.
“He set the tone for us today,” said Dutchmen Head Coach Nick Davey. “He gave us his best outing and wanted the baseball in that sixth.”
The Dutchmen tacked on two in the top of the seventh and Cash Crane (Trinity) finished the game with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh. Albany took game one winning 9-2.
The second game began with a solo home run for Kevin Jimenez (New Mexico State). The Dutchmen responded with a three-run bottom of the first. Seng singled to lead off the game and would steal second and third base. Mike Handal (Fairfield) walked and Seng advanced home after starter Trey Alderman (Marshall) delivered an errant throw to first trying to pick off Handal. Pellis and Parker Noland (Vanderbilt) continued their hitting ways and both delivered RBI singles.
The Mohawks responded in the second with a lead-off single from Rook Ellington (Kentucky). Geordon Blanton (Marshall) knocked him home with a single for Amsterdam’s second run. The top of the fourth began with a leadoff triple from Sam Zayicek (High Point) and he advanced on a wild pitch from Anthony Amoroso (New Paltz). Amoroso allowed eight hits and three earned runs over four innings.
Ryan Greco (Brockport) began the fifth inning and allowed two walks and a single to load the bases with one out. He got back to back strikeouts over Zayick and Blanton to end the fifth. Greco entered the game with a 9.88 ERA - the highest on the team.
“Huge inning for his confidence,” said Davey. “That was the PGCBL All-Star we had last year, I’m proud of Ryan.”
The bottom of the fifth began with impending darkness as the Dutchmen were desperate to break the deadlock. The inning began with Seng reaching first via an error from shortstop Kevin Jimenez. He stole second and third again, giving the outfielder five stolen bases in game two. Handal walked and Bench intentionally walked to load the bases. Pellis then came up with no outs and the bases loaded. With the Mohawks infield in, Pellis blasted his fifth home run of the season over the left-field wall.
“We missed him with the infection (knee) the last couple of games,” said Davey. “He showed how important he is for this team.”
Parker Noland then smacked a ground-rule double to right and was brought home by Max Gebauer (Saint Rose). Gebauer made his Dutchmen debut in today’s game. Seng then singled and came home to score after a three-run double from Handal. The Dutchmen tacked on eight runs in the inning then the game was called due to darkness.
“To finish a long weekend of baseball with that inning is pretty good,” said Davey.
The Dutchmen are currently third in the PGCBL East divison, one game behind the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs for second place.
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