GLENS FALLS—Late-inning rallies have become something of a specialty for these Glens Falls Golden Eagles.
Twice Monday evening, the Eagles pulled off last at-bat victories to sweep a New York Collegiate Baseball League doubleheader against the Watertown Wizards at East Field.
In the nightcap, Steve Zavala scored from third on a bases-loaded wild pitch with two out in the eighth to give Glens Falls a 6-5 win, capping a rally from a 5-0 deficit.
Earlier, Gary DerHagopian’s two-run double in the seventh lifted the Eagles to a 4-3 victory in the first game.
It was Glens Falls’ third straight win in the last at-bat and gave the Eagles (16-4) a six-game winning streak.
"They were both very emotional wins; these guys have a lot of fight in them," Glens Falls head coach John Mayotte said. "It’s nice to see the team chemistry come together. The kids in criticial situations were really enjoying it."
None was more critical in the second game than Zavala, who had also scored on a wild pitch in the seventh inning to pull Glens Falls within 5-4. Chris Lashmet’s RBI single tied the score, but the Eagles left the bases loaded.
With two out in the bottom of the eighth, Zavala ripped a double down the left-field line, Anthony Giansanti was intentionally walked and Rodarrick Jones was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
With Lashmet on a 2-2 count, Watertown’s John Pedrotty threw wild, allowing Zavala to race home, sliding safely under Pedrotty’s tag at the plate for the winning run.
Giansanti hit a two-run triple and Jones added an RBI double in the fifth.
Eagles lefty Jamie Storey, who retired the side in order in the seventh and eighth, finished with six strikeouts to pick up the pitching win.
The Wizards (11-10) got a three-run home run from Brant Jones in the first to spark their early lead.
"We gave away runs early and held them late, and that gave us a chance to win coming from behind," Mayotte said. "We get a lot of hits late, but I’d rather get them late than early."
In the first game, Glens Falls was out-hit 10-5, but the Eagles plated three runs with no outs in the seventh to pull out the win. DerHagopian, a catcher from Siena College, blasted a double to left-center to score the tying and winning runs. Before DerHagopian’s at-bat, Sean Lamont scored on an error to cut Watertown’s lead to 3-2.
The Wizards got a solo home run from Pat Biserta, who was facing his Rutgers University teammate Willie Beard. Beard lasted three innings for Glens Falls, allowing eight hits, including five in Watertown’s two-run third inning.
Francis Brooke relieved Beard and allowed only two hits over the final four innings.
The Eagles are scheduled to host Mohawk Valley on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Watertown 012 000 0 — 3 10 1
Glens Falls 001 000 3 — 4 5 1
WP — Brooke. LP — Marshall. 2B — DerHagopian (GF). 3B — Botsford (W). HR — Biserta (W).
Watertown (11-10) 302 000 00 — 5 11 1
Glens Falls (16-4) 000 030 21 — 6 12 1
WP — Story. LP — Pedrotty. 2B — R.Jones (GF), Zavala (GF). 3B — Giansanti (GF). HR — B.Jones (W).