JULY 26, 2004
Eagles head into playoffs
By STEPHEN DRAVIS - Special to The Post-Star

GLENS FALLS -- For all that the Glens Falls Golden Eagles did right this season, there was a lot that could have gone wrong on the season's last day.

But the Eagles used timely hitting and a gutsy pitching performance from starter Aaron Richard to earn a 4-1 win and a doubleheader split with Watertown that gives Glens Falls home field advantage throughout the New York Collegiate Baseball League playoffs.

Those playoffs start tonight with the best-of-three East Division championship series. Amsterdam visits East Field at 7 p.m. for Game 1.

The schedule is the main reason why Sunday could have been a disaster for the Eagles (31-10).

Amsterdam (23-8) was resting on Sunday. The Mohawks did not have to make up their only remaining rained-out game. Meanwhile Glens Falls, which wrapped up the division's top spot last week, was stuck having to play a doubleheader that could have torn up its pitching staff.

"It was a little tough, because we were short pitching," Glens Falls outfielder David Williams said.

"Aaron Richard did a great job. He hasn't pitched all year. He deserves all the credit. (First-game starter) Jim (Jansen) just had a rough day. He's thrown 214 pitches in four days. He needs a rest."

Jansen gave up all five runs in Watertown's 5-1 Game 1 victory on Sunday. But more importantly, he lasted six innings.

Then the Eagles turned to two pitchers who had not seen action on the mound in a long time.

Beatty, a third baseman all summer, pitched a scoreless seventh in relief in the opener. Richard was brilliant in the nightcap. After giving up hits to the first three batters he faced, he settled down to allow just two more hits and strike out 11 in six innings to earn the win.

Between the two of them, Beatty and Richard had one inning pitched in the 2004 college season. Neither saw the mound this summer for the Eagles.

"You have so many things going through your mind," Glens Falls coach John Mayotte said. "You don't want to use your primary pitchers because the playoffs start tomorrow. So you're stuck with using guys and hoping and praying you can get as many innings out of guys as you can. We got good performances from both of them."

Richard's performance was bolstered by an eight-hit attack for the Eagles. Ryan Basham launched a home run over the right field wall, and Beatty notched two doubles to lead offense and give Glens Falls the best record in the NYCBL.

Going into the day, Glens Falls was percentage points ahead of West Division champion Hornell (31-11), but Hornell had one more win and two more losses. If the Eagles had been swept, Hornell would have moved ahead and gained home field throughout the postseason.

Instead, Glens Falls will be home as long as it stays alive. But Watertown coach Tom Kirkey said the Eagles and their fans cannot count out Amsterdam.

"Amsterdam is a funny team," Kirkey said. "They have two kids at the top of their rotation -- (Gian) Testa and (Derrick) Gordon. That's their strength. They have those two starting pitchers. If you can get into their bullpen, I think you have a shot against them.

"Amsterdam has a nice team. Offensively, they're strong, but obviously Glens Falls at the top of their rotation is very tough, too."

Mayotte said Brett Zamzow will get the call on the mound tonight.

Between games on Sunday night, Zamzow was named the Golden Eagles' Pitcher of the Year based on a vote of the fans. The same vote resulted in Williams being named the team's Position Player of the Year.

Williams, a rising sophomore at Rutgers from Franklin, N.J., was humbled by the honor.

"I never expected it," Williams said. "Anyone on our team could have won it, but I really appreciated.''