Justin Childers (Ohio Dominican) loads as the pitch from Stallions starter Nick Burns comes out of his hand.
The Albany Dutchmen (13-13) dropped an extra-inning affair with the Saugerties Stallions (9-14) Saturday night, falling 3-2 in 10 innings.
In the bottom of the 10th inning and the bases loaded and 2 outs, Troy Montemayor (Baylor University) walked Zachary DeThomasis (Hudson Valley Community College) and Michael Pfenninger (Manhattan College) to give Saugerties the victory.
Saugerties would put the first run on the board, as Caleb Kerbs (University of Maine) singled with one out in the first and motored home on a Pfenninger triple to make it a 1-0 ballgame.
The Dutchmen bats were hot early, registering six of their 10 hits on the evening in the first innings. Albany couldn’t get any runs in the 1st after stranding runners on 1st and 2nd after a pair of two out singles. That would change in the 2nd though, as with one out the bats would heat up. Micah McHugh (University of Mississippi) would lay down a drag bunt and Bray Curreri (College of Saint Rose) would put runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Head Coach Nick Davey would institute a double steal, and a bad throw into center by Andy Karlan (Palm Beach State College) would allow McHugh to score. After Jon Skidmore (Dallas Baptist University) singled, JJ Shimko (University of South Carolina-Upstate) would single in Curreri to make give the Dutchmen a 2-1 lead.
The hosts would soon scratch the Dutchmen lead, as Alex Thrower (University at Buffalo) would lead off the 3rd with a walk and after moving to second on a fielder’s choice would swipe third and come home to score on a Riddick single, tying it at 2.
Each team’s bats would quickly quiet down however, as the two teams combined for only four hits the remainder of the scheduled frames, and neither would get a runner past second for those same nine innings.
That would change in the extra inning though, as Mychael Goudreau (Azusa Pacific University) led off the 10th with a single and stole second, where he would be pinch run for by Cole Malloy (Butler University). Malcolm Nachmanoff (Stony Brook University) then flew to right center, but Thrower would drop the ball and the Dutchmen would have runners on the corners with only one out.
But there the tide would turn.
Saugerties pitcher Collin Duffley (University of Massachusetts Lowell) would throw a wild pitch, but miraculously the ball would take a crazy bounce off the backstop right back to the catcher Richie Barrella (Manhattan College) who flipped to Duffley and tagged Malloy out. Kyle Skeels (Coastal Carolina University) then popped out to on the infield to end the half.
In the bottom of the 10th inning with a runner on 2nd and one out, Michael Pfenninger (Manhattan College) reached on a fielder’s choice as he grounded back to Dutchmen pitcher Nate Harris (Louisiana Tech University) and Harris caught the runner at 3rd. Adam Chase (Franklin Pierce University) would follow with a single to move the Pfenninger to 2nd, and after the Dutchmen pitching would have a hard time finding the strike zone. Harris, then over three innings into his outing, walked Micah Riddick (SUNY Ulster) to load the bases, and the ensuing walkoff walk gave Saugerties the victory.
The 7-8-9 of the order would lead the Dutchmen offensively, going 5-of-11 with half the team's hits and both runs. Jon Skidmore (Dallas Baptist) would lead the way with three of those hits, going 3-for-4 with three singles. Leadoff man JJ Shimko (University of South Carolina-Upstate) would have the lone Albany RBI, going 1-for-4 with his RBI single in the top of the 2nd. Nachmanoff would finish 2-for-5.
Kale Morton (Azusa Pacific University) got the start for the Dutchmen, going 4 innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 runs (both earned), and 4 walks while striking out 3. Harris took the loss, going 3.2 otherwise strong innings, allowing only 2 hits, 1 run (earned) and 2 walks while striking out 4. That would be the first earned run Harris has allowed in his 10 innings of work on the season, setting his ERA on the year at a miniscule 0.90.
Saugerties will remain at home Sunday, when they host the Glens Falls Dragons for a 6:35 match.
Albany will begin the second half of their four-game road trip, as they head to Geneva for a contest with the Red Wings in what will be Albany’s first road game against a West Division team in the 2016 campaign.
