SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Saratoga coach John Fitzgerald remembers the words coming out of his mouth early in this New York Collegiate Baseball League season.

"Early on when Glens Falls was struggling, I said 'this is a much better ballclub than it's showing,' " Fitzgerald recalled. "But they fought through that."

Fitzgerald was proven prophetic, as the Golden Eagles got great pitching and withstood a Saratoga rally to win, 3-2, in a New York Collegiate Baseball League game at East Side Rec. on Thursday night.

This win, Glens Falls' 13th against 23 losses, was earned thanks to the pitchers. Mike Falasca, from LeMoyne College, had a decent outing through 6 1/3 innings before being relieved. C.J. O'Leary and Queensbury High School graduate Justin Mattes held firm for the Golden Eagles.

"Falasca did a terrific job, he was the key," Glens Falls coach John Mayotte said. "You've got to get six to seven innings from your starter in this league. And I hoped I'd get good innings from O'Leary and Mattes."

Falasca walked three and struck out four, but Fitzgerald said the lefty's changeup caused problems for the Phillies (15-22).

"He has one of the better changeups we've seen," Fitzgerald said. "And then O'Leary and Mattes came in and shut the door on us."

Glens Falls made some two-out noise for its first run in the top of the first. Nick Valdez was hit by a pitch. Then, Danny Hughes cracked a 3-2 pitch to the gap in left-center field to score Valdez.

The Eagles added its other runs in the fourth. Pat Ferguson led off with a single to right field, moved to second on a fielder's choice and scored on Shaun Hagey's double to right field. After moving to third on a wild pitch, Hagey came in on Josh Cox's hard infield single off Saratoga starter Pat Riley.

"Cox did a great job," Mayotte said of the Yale product who went 2-for-3 in the No. 9 spot. "He's playing with a little more confidence now."

But Saratoga is too good to go quietly, and Adam Cronk got things started for the Phillies in the fifth by doubling to left field. After Alex Kliman sacrificed to move Cronk to third, Kendall Horner hit into a fielder's choice to score Kronk.

Saratoga kept the rally going in the sixth. Brian Thielemann walked, moved to third on Cody Merrell's double and scored on a bloop RBI single by Grayden Greiner.

Mattes came on after Merrell's second double in the eighth inning with one out. The Cortland State right-hander got out of that jam by forcing the next two batters into groundouts.

"You couldn't have scripted it much better with Cody on second, one out and our No. 4 and 5 hitters coming up," Fitzgerald said. "We had our opportunities, but we just couldn't get that timely hit."

Both teams play today, as Saratoga will travel to play Mohawk Valley in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. while the Golden Eagles return home to host Amsterdam at East Field at 7 p.m..