JUNE 18, 2004
Golden Eagles see win streak get snapped
Uncharacteristic errors lead to loss

GLENS FALLS -- Everything was just a bit off Thursday night at East Field.

The weather was dreary, the infield a little wetter than usual, and there were hardly any spectators in the stands.

One other thing: The Glens Falls Golden Eagles didn't look like themselves, either.

After riding an eight-game winning streak into first place in the New York Collegiate Baseball League's Eastern Division, the Eagles finally had a bad day. Their pitchers had trouble finding the strike zone and a couple of surehanded fielders made errors, as Glens Falls lost for the first time in nine games, 5-4, to the Mohawk Valley Cobras.

"Every team has one of those nights once in a while, tonight was just ours," second baseman Eric Lawson said. "It's no big deal, they (Mohawk Valley) just wanted it a little more tonight since they've been losing a lot of close games."

Indeed, the last-place Cobras (3-9) had been beaten three times by Glens Falls so far this season, including a 2-1 setback Wednesday night in Utica.

Thursday night Mohawk Valley took advantage of Glens Falls starter Jon Jansen's wildness. Jansen, from Rutgers University, walked five batters in his five innings of work.

"He struggled to get ahead and wasn't able to get any of his pitches over consistently," Glens Falls coach John Mayotte said. "We're going to stick with him and hopefully he'll be able to work his way through this."

Glens Falls was still able to grab a 4-2 lead after four innings thanks to RBIs by Will Groff, Brad Beatty and Ryan Basham.

But in the fifth, Jansen retired the first two batters before running into trouble. He plunked Matt Geiger and then issued back-to-back walks to Matt Devins and Travis Robinson.

With the rain coming down hard, Mohawk Valley's Dan Hayden then rolled a grounder to shortstop Jeremy Goldschmeding. Perhaps the most sure-handed fielder on the team, Goldschmeding had the wet ball scoot under his glove, allowing two runs to score and tying the game at 4.

"What happens is a guy walks a few batters and the fielders are back on their heels, and not as sharp," Mayotte said. "You relax for a minute and you're not up on your toes when the ball comes."

The eventual winning run was facilitated by a mental error by the Eagles in the sixth. A single by the Cobras' Chris Darling, followed by a wild pitch by reliever Joel Boeschen, put a runner on second with no outs.

Ben Gaal then put down a sacrifice bunt toward the pitcher's mound, and Eagles catcher Tommy Hill yelled for Boeschen to throw to third. Darling easily beat the throw, and one batter later a sacrifice fly gave Mohawk Valley the lead for good.

"Tommy made big mental error and he knows it; we've been talking from day one about taking the outs the other team gives you," Mayotte said.

While Mohawk Valley was climbing back into the game, it got outstanding relief pitching from righty Brian Murtaugh. Currently playing for SUNY-Stony Brook, Murtaugh didn't allow a hit over 4 2/3 innings, issuing no walks and striking out five batters.

The Golden Eagles are back in action Saturday at 5 p.m. for an East Field doubleheader against Amsterdam.