July 22
SARATOGA SPRINGS – The Saratoga Stampede swept a double header at East Side Rec today, coming from behind to defeat Hudson Post 184 7-6 in the first game, and then coming from behind again, this time against Mohican Post 553 out of South Glens Falls, to win by a 4-2 margin.
Against Hudson in the first game, Travis Wilson took the ball from Manager Paul Mound, and the 6’ 5” southpaw struggled just a bit with his control, which is a rarity. After allowing an infield single and a base hit with one out, Wilson tried to pick off Dave Ellis at first. The throw sailed past first baseman Neil Callahan, and the runners advanced to second and third. Wilson settled down and struck out Brian Gauthier, but then walked Zach Kraham to load the bases. Wilson then got his focus back, and fanned Mike Rigos to retire the side.
In the bottom of the frame, Saratoga took a 1-0 lead without the benefit of a base hit. Catcher Kenny Recore led off by drawing a base on balls, and then went to second base on Andy Brown’s swinging bunt down the first base line. A wild pitch then sent Recore to third, and when the catcher recovered the ball, he overthrew third baseman Eric Mossman, and Recore jogged home for the game’s first run.
Hudson touched Wilson for their first run in the third. With one out, Brooks Winner lined a single to center, but Wilson came back to strike out Ellis. Gauthier came up next, and he smacked a double to drive in Gauthier and tie the game. Kraham then smacked a line drive that seemed destined for center field, but second baseman Justin Wilock timed his leap perfectly and robbed Kraham of a hit and Hudson of the lead.
The Stampede threatened in the bottom of the inning, with runners on second and third and nobody out, but Kraham did a beautiful job of working out of it, as he struck out Recore, Brown, and Vince Farfaglia to snuff out the threat.
In the fourth, Hudson took the lead for the first time. With runners on first and third, Jeff Mound muffed a ground ball, and it was a 2-1 game. Wilson wasn’t fazed, as he then picked off Nate Toussant for the final out.
It remained a 2-1 game until the seventh, when things took a turn for the worse for Saratoga. After Erin Mossman fouled out to Callahan, Wilson walked Zach Issler, and Toussant reached on an infield single. Winner reached on Mound’s second error to load the bases, and then Ellis drew a walk to plate Issler and give Hudson a two-run advantage.
The walls seemed to be falling in on the Stampede, as Gauthier then smacked a two-RBI single to center to make it 5-1, and then Paul Mound lifted Wilson in favor of Callahan. Callahan came up huge, first by inducing Kraham to pop out to left field. The shot appeared that it was going to fall in, but Brown showed his range at short by tracking it down and making the catch two steps in front of left fielder Brad Elliott. Wilson then got Drew Doty to ground out to Mound to end the inning.
Meanwhile, Kraham was cruising for Hudson. Through the first six innings, the Stampede could only muster three base hits; Wilock reached on an infield single in the third, Recore singled in the fifth, and Chris Hackett lined a base hit in the sixth. Kraham also had sent nine batters down on strikes. Down by four runs, the Stampede were down to their final three outs.
The Stampede opened the inning with four straight hits. Wilock singled to right, and then Elliott doubled him home to pull the Stampede to within 5-2. Recore’s base hit to left put runners on the corners, and then Brown pulled a single to left. Elliott scored to make it 5-3, but Gauthier misplayed the ball in left, and Recore and Brown moved up to second and third. A wild pitch by Kraham scored Recore, making it 5-4, and then two batters later Callahan singled to left to plate Brown and tie the ball game at five.
The game went into extra innings, as it remained tied until the top of the ninth, when Hudson again took the lead. Toussant was safe on an infield single, went to second on a bunt by Winner, and then stole third. Mound’s third error at second scored Toussant and gave Hudson a 6-5 lead. Gauthier then lined out to Elliott in left and then Callahan got Kraham to ground out for the final out.
But Saratoga would not be denied. Back-to-back base hits by Recore and Brown put pressure on Hudson reliever Brett Anderson, but he came back to strike out Farfaglia.
Next up was Callahan, who has come up big all season for the Stampede. Neil wasted no time, as he blasted a double on the first pitch that he saw, scoring Recore and Brown and giving the Stampede the come-from-behind win.
Chris Hackett took the mound for Saratoga in the second game, against Mohican Post 553.
Hackett showed much better form than he has in recent outings, and he kept the Mohican bats at bay, scattering just two hits and two walks over the first five innings.
The Stampede got on the scoreboard in the third. Levi Washburn led off with a base hit to center, and then he stole second. Jeff Mound bunted him over to third, and then a wild pitch by Mohican starter Lance Chapman allowed Washburn to race home for the game’s first run.
After five innings of futility, Mohican finally scored in the sixth. Hackett struck out the first two batters, and then Lance Bull singled to center. Hackett then lost his control, throwing two wild pitches that moved Bull around to third. Chapman walked and stole second, and then Matt Lacy slapped a single, scoring both runners and giving Mohican a 2-1 lead. Hackett then got Tyler Beecher to hit a ground ball to Brown at short, and he flipped to Mound at second for the force to end the inning.
But, as in the first game, Saratoga could not be held down. Brown led off with a base hit, and then went to second on Farfaglia’s ground ball to short. A wild pitch sent Brown to third, and then Callahan drew a walk. Kyle Baldani came up next, and he singled to plate Brown and tie the game at two. Ryan Washburn walked to load the bases, and then Levi singled to right, driving in Callahan and Baldani, and Saratoga re-took the lead at 4-2.
Mohican would make it interesting in the seventh. A walk and a singe put runners on first and second with nobody out, but Hackett collected himself, and he got Damian Tyler to fly out to Recore in right. Joe Deutchman tried to tag up from third, but when Recore’s throw was cut off by Callahan, Deutchman tried to head back to second, and Callahan fired to Brown at second for the double play. Hackett then went to a full count on Ryan Chadwick before he caught him looking at a called third strike to end the ball game.
Against Hudson in the first game, Travis Wilson took the ball from Manager Paul Mound, and the 6’ 5” southpaw struggled just a bit with his control, which is a rarity. After allowing an infield single and a base hit with one out, Wilson tried to pick off Dave Ellis at first. The throw sailed past first baseman Neil Callahan, and the runners advanced to second and third. Wilson settled down and struck out Brian Gauthier, but then walked Zach Kraham to load the bases. Wilson then got his focus back, and fanned Mike Rigos to retire the side.
In the bottom of the frame, Saratoga took a 1-0 lead without the benefit of a base hit. Catcher Kenny Recore led off by drawing a base on balls, and then went to second base on Andy Brown’s swinging bunt down the first base line. A wild pitch then sent Recore to third, and when the catcher recovered the ball, he overthrew third baseman Eric Mossman, and Recore jogged home for the game’s first run.
Hudson touched Wilson for their first run in the third. With one out, Brooks Winner lined a single to center, but Wilson came back to strike out Ellis. Gauthier came up next, and he smacked a double to drive in Gauthier and tie the game. Kraham then smacked a line drive that seemed destined for center field, but second baseman Justin Wilock timed his leap perfectly and robbed Kraham of a hit and Hudson of the lead.
The Stampede threatened in the bottom of the inning, with runners on second and third and nobody out, but Kraham did a beautiful job of working out of it, as he struck out Recore, Brown, and Vince Farfaglia to snuff out the threat.
In the fourth, Hudson took the lead for the first time. With runners on first and third, Jeff Mound muffed a ground ball, and it was a 2-1 game. Wilson wasn’t fazed, as he then picked off Nate Toussant for the final out.
It remained a 2-1 game until the seventh, when things took a turn for the worse for Saratoga. After Erin Mossman fouled out to Callahan, Wilson walked Zach Issler, and Toussant reached on an infield single. Winner reached on Mound’s second error to load the bases, and then Ellis drew a walk to plate Issler and give Hudson a two-run advantage.
The walls seemed to be falling in on the Stampede, as Gauthier then smacked a two-RBI single to center to make it 5-1, and then Paul Mound lifted Wilson in favor of Callahan. Callahan came up huge, first by inducing Kraham to pop out to left field. The shot appeared that it was going to fall in, but Brown showed his range at short by tracking it down and making the catch two steps in front of left fielder Brad Elliott. Wilson then got Drew Doty to ground out to Mound to end the inning.
Meanwhile, Kraham was cruising for Hudson. Through the first six innings, the Stampede could only muster three base hits; Wilock reached on an infield single in the third, Recore singled in the fifth, and Chris Hackett lined a base hit in the sixth. Kraham also had sent nine batters down on strikes. Down by four runs, the Stampede were down to their final three outs.
The Stampede opened the inning with four straight hits. Wilock singled to right, and then Elliott doubled him home to pull the Stampede to within 5-2. Recore’s base hit to left put runners on the corners, and then Brown pulled a single to left. Elliott scored to make it 5-3, but Gauthier misplayed the ball in left, and Recore and Brown moved up to second and third. A wild pitch by Kraham scored Recore, making it 5-4, and then two batters later Callahan singled to left to plate Brown and tie the ball game at five.
The game went into extra innings, as it remained tied until the top of the ninth, when Hudson again took the lead. Toussant was safe on an infield single, went to second on a bunt by Winner, and then stole third. Mound’s third error at second scored Toussant and gave Hudson a 6-5 lead. Gauthier then lined out to Elliott in left and then Callahan got Kraham to ground out for the final out.
But Saratoga would not be denied. Back-to-back base hits by Recore and Brown put pressure on Hudson reliever Brett Anderson, but he came back to strike out Farfaglia.
Next up was Callahan, who has come up big all season for the Stampede. Neil wasted no time, as he blasted a double on the first pitch that he saw, scoring Recore and Brown and giving the Stampede the come-from-behind win.
Chris Hackett took the mound for Saratoga in the second game, against Mohican Post 553.
Hackett showed much better form than he has in recent outings, and he kept the Mohican bats at bay, scattering just two hits and two walks over the first five innings.
The Stampede got on the scoreboard in the third. Levi Washburn led off with a base hit to center, and then he stole second. Jeff Mound bunted him over to third, and then a wild pitch by Mohican starter Lance Chapman allowed Washburn to race home for the game’s first run.
After five innings of futility, Mohican finally scored in the sixth. Hackett struck out the first two batters, and then Lance Bull singled to center. Hackett then lost his control, throwing two wild pitches that moved Bull around to third. Chapman walked and stole second, and then Matt Lacy slapped a single, scoring both runners and giving Mohican a 2-1 lead. Hackett then got Tyler Beecher to hit a ground ball to Brown at short, and he flipped to Mound at second for the force to end the inning.
But, as in the first game, Saratoga could not be held down. Brown led off with a base hit, and then went to second on Farfaglia’s ground ball to short. A wild pitch sent Brown to third, and then Callahan drew a walk. Kyle Baldani came up next, and he singled to plate Brown and tie the game at two. Ryan Washburn walked to load the bases, and then Levi singled to right, driving in Callahan and Baldani, and Saratoga re-took the lead at 4-2.
Mohican would make it interesting in the seventh. A walk and a singe put runners on first and second with nobody out, but Hackett collected himself, and he got Damian Tyler to fly out to Recore in right. Joe Deutchman tried to tag up from third, but when Recore’s throw was cut off by Callahan, Deutchman tried to head back to second, and Callahan fired to Brown at second for the double play. Hackett then went to a full count on Ryan Chadwick before he caught him looking at a called third strike to end the ball game.
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