Nick Cioffi (Towson) throws in the rain (photo by: Shawn Stannard).
Behind a brilliant outing from starter Nick Cioffi (Towson) and an early offensive surge, the Albany Dutchmen found their way back in the win column with a 3-0 victory over the Saugerties Stallions Thursday night at Bob Bellizzi Field. The game was called after the top of the sixth inning due to the adverse weather in the Capital Region. The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was rained out, and no makeup date has been announced.
The Fifth Annual Pink Game will be rescheduled for Friday. Anyone with a ticket for Thursday’s game will be able to enter the Plumeri Sports Complex for Friday’s contest, with a date-stamped ticket from Thursday. The pink jersey auction and raffle will take place Friday night, and anyone unable to attend the game will be able to check unclaimed raffle prize numbers on the Dutchmen website.
After scoring just two runs over the past three games, the Dutchmen scored three times in the bottom of the first of the opening game. Adam Gauthier (Dartmouth) started the offense with one out when he was hit by a pitch. After Gauthier stole second base, Zach Remillard (Coastal Carolina) bounced a ball over the left field wall for a ground-rule double, scoring Gauthier to put the Dutchmen on the board. Remillard then swiped third base, and scored on a single through the infield by Sean Aspinall (Azusa Pacific). The RBI was the 20th of the season for the reigning PGCBL Player of the Week. The scoring concluded on a double by Michael Fitzsimmons (Ole Miss) that brought Aspinall home.
The three runs was all Cioffi needed, as he allowed just two hits, facing only one more than the minimum amount. The Towson righty struck out six hitters and surrendered just one walk.
Saugerties’ biggest threat came in the fourth inning, when leadoff hitter Eric Downey (Herkimer CC) walked and reached second on a wild pitch. After moving over to third on a groundout, Downey tried to score on a ball that trickled away from catcher Tom Moore (Saint Rose). Moore collected the ball and fired to a covering Cioffi, who applied the tag for the third out of the inning.
Albany also threatened in the fourth inning, putting runners aboard on a Fitzsimmons single and a Slayton Vaughan (Oral Roberts) double. However, the Dutchmen were unable to score after Saugerties starter Phil Zdanowski (Saint Rose) induced a groundout, a strikeout, and a flyout to end the frame.
Cioffi earned his second win of the season for the Dutchmen, and Zdanowski was charged with his third loss.
The Dutchmen will continue a homestand Friday night against the Glens Falls Dragons in a Subway Summer Series matchup. Mike Reitcheck (Penn) will get the ball for the Dutchmen. Friday is Phillips Hardware Night, where over $500 in prizes and how-to workshops will be distributed. It will also be Chamber of Commerce Night, and Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan will throw out the first pitch. Baseball Bingo will also be contested.
