Dutchmen Split Doubleheader
Sunday, June 27th (GLENS FALLS, NY)-- The Albany Dutchmen split a doubleheader on the road at the Glens Falls Dragons. Albany won game one 7-4 and dropped game two 11-5.
Albany came out of the gate hot in game one as the Dutchmen offense exploded for a four run first inning. Ryan McGee (Siena), Garrett Wood (Ole Miss) and Mike Handal (Fairfield) loaded the bases as the first three batters saw a combined 18 pitches and all three hitters walked. McGee scored on a Tom Kretzler (Brockport) single, Wood touched the plate on a wild pitch, and Handal scored on a Logan Beard (Louisville) single. Kretzler added a run to go along with his hit and RBI in the frame after Nick Schwartz (St. John’s) hit a sacrifice fly to make it a 4-0 game right out of the gate.
Glens Falls retaliated with a four run frame of their own in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game. Three walks and an error pushed across the first Glens Falls run of the day before the Dragons recorded their first hit of the inning. Jack Stolper (Middlebury) and Cole Durkan (Stony Brook) had back to back walks, and a Dutchmen error allowed Jack Defayette (UAlbany) to reach first and load the bases. Ryan Ash (Manhattan) walked which scored Stolper, then Nick Winslow (UAlbany) singled home Durkan and Defayette.
Albany decided to go to the bullpen early as JT Larson (East Florida State) entered the game after 1.1 innings. Andrew Gough (Middlebury) singled in Ash to tie the game at 4-4 with one out in the bottom of the second. Mike Handal (Fairfield) caught a ball in right field for the second out and delivered a beautiful one hop throw to the catcher Ty Gallagher (Herkimer) to get the Dutchmen out of the bases loaded jam.
JT Larson (East Florida State) and Colin McVeigh (Fairfield) combined to throw 5.2 shutout innings while each of the relievers punched out four hitters apiece.
Albany added on a run in the third and fourth inning, in the third Nick Schwartz (St. John’s) scored on a ground ball hit by Ty Gallagher (Herkimer) for the Dutchmen to retake the lead as this would be the eventual winning run. Ryan McGee (Siena) scored his second run of the night in the fourth inning on a Tom Kretzler (Brockport) sacrifice fly to give the Dutchmen some room in their 6-4 lead.
Tom Kretzler (Brockport) added on the final run of game one in the sixth inning when he singled and scored on an RBI double by Logan Beard (Louisville) as that would be the last run in Albany’s 7-4 game one win.
The Dutchmen struck first blood in the top of the first inning of game two when leadoff hitter Mike Handal (Fairfield) singled, stole a base and was singled in by Will Stroud (Azusa Pacific) to get the Dutchmen out to an early lead.
In the bottom of the first the momentum would quickly swing in favor of Glens Falls, as the Dragons went for a five run inning and took a lead they would not surrender. Cory Listing (Coker) singled and scored on a Peter O’Toole (Dartmouth) single, and Quinn McDaniel (Maine) scored on a John Collins (Middlebury) single before the Dutchmen recorded the first out of the game. O’Toole scored on a James Murphy (St. John Fisher) walk, and Joseph Curci (RPI) picked up a 2 RBI single that scored Collins and Murphy to cap off the five run inning.
Logan Beard (Louisville) answered back on the second pitch in the top of the second inning on a solo home run as a part of his 2-4 game and 4-6 day.
Glens Falls scored three unanswered runs in the form of two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth. In the fourth it was Quinn McDaniel (Maine) with a 2 RBI double that plated Joseph Curci (RPI) and Evan Keegan (Castleton), and in the fifth John Collins (Middlebury) hit a solo home run on the first pitch of the Glens Falls half of the frame.
Albany showed flashes of hope again in the sixth inning, trailing 8-2, Logan Beard (Louisville) and Jack Peterson (Trinity) both singled and scored on an error as it seemed the ball may start to roll in the favor of the Dutchmen.
Glens Falls took momentum back in the bottom of the sixth on a Cory Listing (Coer) triple that scored Curci and Keegan, as well as a McDaniel RBI single that put Glens Falls ahead 11-4.
Albany (9-11) returns on Monday, June 28th at home to take on the Saugerties Stallions slated for a 6:35 first pitch. Monday will be Fitness Night Sponsored by Planet Fitness at Dutchmen Field at Keenholts Park.
