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Matt Pierce (Siena) pitched 7.2 inning of one-run ball in 4-1 win over Glens Falls in Pink Game

ALBANY, N.Y.- The defending Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) Pitcher of the Year, Matt Pierce (Siena), had his most impressive outing of the 2018 season, his second with the Dutchmen, on July 15th at home against the Glens Falls Dragons to earn week six Spotlight Player of the Week Honors. 

Pierce struck out a club season-high ten batters over seven and two thirds innings and allowed just one run and four hits without allowing a walk in the Dutchmen’s 4-1 victory over the Glens Falls Dragons on the Eighth Annual Pink Game at Connors Park on Sunday.

Pierce, who has admittedly struggled in a couple starts this season, could not be happier to get back on track. “Summer baseball and baseball in general can be a long process. Putting in the hard work during the week before an outing and seeing the results like [Sunday] is a rewarding feeling,” Pierce said. 

The Schenectady (Guilderland HS) product and Siena College pitcher who will enter his junior season with the Saints in the fall, is using the familiarity of the Dutchmen and Connors Park to prepare for a bounce back season with Siena in 2019. 

Pierce became the first Dutchmen pitcher in the team’s history to earn league Pitcher of the Year honors in 2017. He set a league record with eight wins against just one loss with a 1.71 ERA, which is third best in franchise history. In 12 games (five starts), his only loss came on an unearned run in an 11-10 loss at Saugerties in late June.  

Despite being unable to make it past four innings in two separate starts this season, Pierce now has three quality starts, a 3-1 record, and hopes to continue to display the dominance that became an expectation in 2017. “My goal for the rest of the year is to keep working hard, strive to reach my full potential, and produce maximum results in order to be able to put myself in a position to help my team win,” Pierce said. 

Pierce will get the ball again next week and is excited to do his part in the thick of a playoff race. Despite the stakes, his approach will remain the same. “I plan on sticking to the same routine and putting in hard work off and on the field to be able to remain consistent and repeat the results such as [Sunday’s] game.”

The Dutchmen are currently 18-14 and trail the Amsterdam Mohawks (20-15) and Saugerties Stallions (20-15) each by one half game in the East Division standings. The top two seeds in each of the three divisions earn a playoff bid, as well as the third-place team in the division with the team owning the best overall record.