GLENS FALLS—After rainy weather delayed the start of the 2009 New York Collegiate Baseball East Division opening round playoffs, the second-seed Glens Falls Golden Eagles (29-12) hosted the third-seed Saratoga Phillies (19-22) in the two teams' ninth meeting of the 2009 summer.
During the regular season, both Glens Falls and Saratoga split the season series.
With one-hit and one-run in their home opener, a 4-1 loss to the Phillies, the Golden Eagles mustered just two base hits, one in the second inning from freshman shortstop Eric Phillips (Georgia Southern) and an infield single from freshman center fielder Steve Zavala (Rutgers), against Saratoga starting pitcher Paul Twining (Santa Clara), in what could be their final home game of the 2009 summer season.
Twining retired the final 19 Golden Eagle hitters, striking out 11, walking zero on way to a complete-game, 3-0 shutout win over Glens Falls.
Opposing Twining on the mound, sophomore right-hander Willie Beard (Rutgers), appearing in his fifth start this summer, nearly matched Twining pitch for pitch. Beard allowed just one hit through the games' first five innings, struck out two, and picked up his first loss of his 2009 campaign.
The Golden Eagles pitching staff, which led the NYCBL with a 2.41 ERA and walked the fewest batters (121), and their offensive, which finished second in the NYCBL with 23 homeruns, third with 64 doubles and 454 RBI, squares off against the Phillies tomorrow, August 3, in a win-or-go-home scenario.
Saratoga leads the best-of-three game first-round playoff series 1-0.
The Phillies finished with three runs on five hits, compared to the Golden Eagles zero runs on two hits and one error.
Sophomore pitcher Andrew Brown (Akron) made his sixth relief appearance this summer, tossing three innings of two-hit, one-run, one-walk baseball.
The Phillies scored two runs on two doubles, two walks, and one error in the sixth, adding their third run in the eighth inning when, Adam Dimino (Cortland) worked a leadoff walk and later scored on a sacrifice RBI squeeze play from Sean Allaire (Central Connecticut).
Had it not been for a base-running blunder in the sixth, the Phillies may have scored more runs.
Zavala gunned out catcher Drew Fann (Vanderbilt), who doubled to left leading off the sixth, at home, when shortstop Mitch Davis (Stonehill College), who reached base via a walk, nearly passed Fann on the diamond on the Dimino double to center.
Should the Golden Eagles win game two against the Phillies tomorrow in Saratoga at East Side Rec, Glens Falls will host the deciding-game Monday, 7 p.m., at East Field.