JULY 9, 2004
Eagles' struggles continue in latest loss
By PETE TOBEY - tobey@poststar.com

GLENS FALLS -- Presented with enough chances to score 10 runs, the Glens Falls Golden Eagles again failed to hit in key situations Thursday night as they dropped their third straight New York Collegiate Baseball League contest.

This time, nine hits produced only two runs as the Eagles fell to the Amsterdam Mohawks, 4-2, at East Field.

Four times, Glens Falls (21-8) struck out to end an inning with runners in scoring position -- each strikeout administered by Amsterdam starter Derrick Gordon. For the game, the Eagles left 11 runners on base.

"We didn't make contact in clutch situations, and we didn't put pressure on the defense early in the game," Glens Falls coach John Mayotte said. "I'll take timely hits anytime over a bunch of hits, but when you don't get the timely hitting, that's when you struggle. It makes it easy on the defense when you strike out in those situations."

Glens Falls remained in first place, but second-place Amsterdam (15-12) and Saratoga (14-11), also a winner Thursday, closed within five games of the Eagles in the NYCBL East Division.

The Eagles are 1-4 in their last five games.

Starter Jeremy Hall pitched well enough to win for Glens Falls, striking out 11 batters, including six in a row in one stretch. However, he lacked run support as the Eagles' bats again went missing when needed.

"It's frustrating," said Hall, a right-hander from East Tennessee State. "We're not getting blown out, so that's good at least."

Hall's counterpart, Gordon, also struck out 11.

"Our clutch hitting wasn't there -- if it was, we would have had at least five more runs," said former Queensbury standout Will Groff, who had a pair of singles and an RBI. "There's a lot of players who wish they had some at-bats back."

Groff was involved in one of the more frustrating moments for the Eagles.

Trailing 3-2 in the sixth, Glens Falls got a bloop single from Eric Lawson and Jeremy Goldschmeding reached on an error. With one out, Groff looped the ball down the right-field line, where it was ruled foul by the umpire.

The Eagles argued that the ball hit the line in fair territory, but to no avail. Then, Goldschmeding and Lawson attempted a double steal, but Lawson was cut down at the plate. Groff reached first on a dropped third strike and David Williams drew a walk to load the bases, but Gordon struck out Chris Carlson to end a Glens Falls' threat for the fourth time.

The Eagles did not threaten again.

"I thought the fly ball that we thought was fair was the key play of the game," Mayotte said.

"It definitely hit (in fair territory)," Groff said. "(The umpire) didn't call it when it hit, he called it on the second hop, so you could tell that he wasn't sure either. That was tough, that would have tied the game right there."

Amsterdam opened the scoring in the second when Mike Parker drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs. However, Hall buckled down after that run and struck out six in a row.

In the fifth, the Mohawks got back-to-back RBI singles from John Allman and Josh Goldberg with two outs for a 3-0 lead.

Glens Falls replied in the bottom of the inning. Groff outraced a bunt for an RBI single, then came around to score from second on Carlson's base hit to left field. However, Gordon struck out three in row to end the inning.

Amsterdam added an insurance run in the eighth on a single by Luke Ogeltree.