GLENS FALLS—Heading into the final weekend of regular season baseball before the New York Collegiate Baseball League 2009 playoffs begin, Glens Falls pitching tossed their fourth shutout this season and their second in two game, while the offensive smashed 12 hits with each Golden Eagles' hitter reaching base.
Glens Falls now leads the 2009 summer series with Mohawk Valley7-0, and play the Diamonddawgs on Sunday, where they'll be looking for a the series sweep on the road for the final road game of the season.
A pair of freshmen, righty hurler Tony Dischler (Louisiana Monroe) and southpaw stopper Daniel Watts (Jacksonville State) combining for a five-hit, two-walk shutout on the New York Collegiate Baseball League's third best team, record-wise.
Both Watts and Dischler have pitched shutouts this season.
The 4-0 win over the Diamonddawgs, coupled with a second-place Amsterdam shellacking over Watertown Wizards, ensures tomorrow’s game against the Mohawks, which starts 1 p.m. at East Field, will not decide first place in the East Division.
The Golden Eagles cling to a one and one-half games division lead, while one-game separates three teams for a one lone spot in the 2009 NYCBL playoffs, which run Aug. 1 to Aug. 9.
Freshman Rodarrick Jones (New Orleans) roped two doubles, one in the fifth and seventh innings, scored two runs, one in the first and one in the seventh, and finished a perfect 3-for-3 in the game.
Jones leads the team with double-digit doubles this season, just one ahead of sophomore first baseman Sean Lamont (Georgetown).
Lamont homered to left-center leading off the sixth inning for his team-high sixth shot this season.
Sophomore third baseman Chris Lashmet (Northwestern) knocked home two RBI on two base hits. Lashmet's single in the first inning scored freshman leadoff hitter and center fielder Steve Zavala (Rutgers).
Zavala, Lashmet and freshman designated hitter Nate Valdez (Central Arizona) all finished with two singles apiece, with Valdez driving home Lashmet for the final hit in the two-run, four-hit first inning.
Valdez and freshman shortstop Pepito Moreno (Pima C.C.) both drew walks, Moreno stands second on the team with 18 walks.
Glens Falls paraded for 12 hits and limited Mohawk Valley to five.
With help from Moreno, who turned an unassisted double play in the seventh inning to aid Watts, Golden Eagles defensive ended a potential rally in the eighth when Lashmet trapped a grounder at third on bended knee, forced-out the runner at first on the throw all before Lamont and freshman second basemen Kevin Berry (New Orleans) caught Navarro Hall (Kentucky) in a run down between second and first.
Dischler tossed six shutout innings, striking out four and walking one, Dischler leads the team with 34 strikeouts. His 4-1 win-loss record in seven appearances ranks second best on the team.
Watts scattered two hits in three scoreless innings with two strikeouts and improves on his team-best 0.42 ERA. league-best started in the first inning when freshman leadoff hitter and center fielder Steve Zavala (Rutgers) singles to shallow roped
Junior right fielder Anthony Giansanti (Siena) batted below his team-high .331 average, reaching base on a bunt-single down the third base line in the fifth before being caught stealing at second-base.
Berry singled in the sixth inning, following the Lamont homerun.
Junior catcher Connor Gandossy (St. Louis), who nearly smashed his first homerun this season in the sixth, threw out one base runner in the game.
Gandossy and Jones each reached base via a hit-pitch.
The East Division-leading Golden Eagles travels to Mohawk Valley for a game against the Diamonddawgs on Sunday, July 26.
On Monday**, July 27, several Glens Falls Golden Eagles players and coaches will be partaking two different two hour baseball camps.
The first camp, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., is designed for children ages 11 and under, while the second camp, scheduled 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., is designed for children ages 11 and up.
Camps run at the same times on Tuesday, July 28, and Wednesday, July 29, at the same times.
Cost for the three-day is $75. Feel free to show up to East Field with printed form from website the day of the camp. Credit card, check, or cash is acceptable.
The very last game of the regular season, scheduled for July 28, features pre-game festivities and post-game fireworks.
Please visit website for more details.
*Following the game will be a regular season football game involving the Glens Falls Green Jackets.
** Monday's game, which is a continuation of a July 17 game against the Watertown Wizards, will be played at 7 p.m. at East Field and will begin in the bottom the the third inning with the score tied 0-0.