Stampede Holds off Saugerties for Third Tourney Win

The Saratoga Stampede took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second inning, and then spent the rest of the night fending off a solid Saugerties Post 72 club for a 10-6 win, their third in the 13th Annual Cooper’s Cave Tournament, on Thursday afternoon at Saratoga’s East Side Rec.
There was plenty of offense early on, and Saugerties wasted no time against Stampede starting pitcher Travis Wilson. Jon Perrin led off the game with a base hit to left field, and then Joe Riccio moved him to second on a sacrifice bunt. Riccio’s twin brother Nick followed with a double, and Saugerties took a 1-0 lead. Wilson came back to strike out Kevin Casey, but then walked Mike Gunn. Sean Wachtel then smacked a swinging bunt that was near the mound, but Wilson fumbled the ball for the error and the bases were loaded.
Wilson then made up for his error, as he buckled down to go ahead on B.J. Doyle 0-2 before inducing Doyle to smack a grounder to Allen at short, and he flipped to Wilock at second to escape any further damage.
Saratoga would take advantage of several mistakes by Saugerties in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead.
LeeJay Pollachi tried to start the game off with a bunt base hit, but Saugerties starter Will Weissburg fielded it and fired to first for the first out. Levi Washburn followed with a double, and when Mike Allen reached on an error on Casey at first, the Stampede had runners on first and third with just one out. Walks to Neil Callahan and Scott Hladik and a pair of wild pitches plated two runs, and Saratoga had a 2-1 edge.
With runners on first and second with just one out, the Stampede could not take advantage of the situation, as Kyle Baldani struck out and Steve Brennan flied out to right field to end the inning.
In the second, a walk and back-to-back singles scored a run for Saugerties, and the game was tied at two.
In the bottom of the frame, Saratoga had some luck and did some damage to take the lead with two away. Wilock and Phil Dilorenzo struck out to start the inning, but then Pollachi reached on an error and stole second. Washburn’s base hit scored Pollachi to make it a 3-2 game, but he was thrown out trying to advance to second on the throw home to end the inning.
Saratoga extended its lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the third, when Allen was safe for an infield single, Callahan reached on an error, and after Hladik grounded into a double play, Baldani drove in Allen on a base hit.
Saugerties, however, would get the run back in the top of the fourth. After Ryan Hastie led off with a single to right-center field, Gabe Depoalla tapped one back to the box, and Wilson threw to first for the out. Depoalla, who advanced to second, took a shot at third, and Callahan gunned him down to complete the unconventional 1-3-5 double play.
The inning wasn’t over, however, and Perrin re-started the rally with a single to left. After Joe Riccio drew a walk, Nick Riccio drilled a base hit up the middle to knock in Perrin and pull Saugerties to within 4-3.
Wilock led off the fourth with a base hit to left field, and he was sent to second on Dilorenzo’s sacrifice bunt. But he would be stranded there as Pollachi and Washburn both struck out to end the inning.
Saugerties was sent down quietly by Wilson in the top of the fifth, but Saratoga would pad its lead in the bottom half.
With one out, the Stampede then received four consecutive singles by Callahan, Hladik, Baldani, and Dan Brennan. Baldani’s shot drove in Callahan, and Brennan’s plated Hladik and Baldani to raise Saratoga’s lead to 7-3.
Trailing by five runs, Post 72 would show its resiliency in the final two at-bats. With one out in the sixth, Depoalla singled to left, but Wilson picked him off for the second out. Then Wilson surrendered back-to-back walks to Perrin and Joe Riccio. Nick Riccio reached safely on an infield single, and Perrin came around to score from second to make it a 7-4 game. A stolen base, an error, and a wild pitch brought home Joe Riccio and made the score 7-5.
Wilson was then pulled in favor of southpaw Ryan White, and he got Casey to ground out to Allen at short for the final out.
The Stampede would put the game out of reach in the bottom of the inning. Pollachi led off by using his lightning-fast speed to leg out an infield single, and then he promptly stole second. Pollachi is so quick that just about any time he lands safely on first base, you might as well pencil him in at second, because he’s usually there before too long.
Washburn then slapped a 3-0 pitch to third base, and Nick Riccio threw to first for the out. Pollachi was then caught straying off of second, and Casey threw over to Gunn for the unlikely 5-3-6 double play.
Allen then drew a walk, and back-to-back singles by Callahan and Hladik made it an 8-5 affair. Baldani then crushed a double, driving in both Callahan and Hladik to give Saratoga a 10-5 lead.
The trio of Callahan, Hladik, and Baldani had a tremendous day at the plate, as they combined to go 7-for-10, with five runs scored and five runs batted in, four of them by Baldani. Out of 12 total plate appearances, the three amigos reached base safely 10 times.
Saugerties was obviously disappointed to fall further behind, but they would not give up. With one out and Wachtel at the plate, Callahan dropped a pop up in foul territory that gave Wachtel new life. He ended up walking, and then a passed ball moved him over to second. White came back and struck out Doyle, but then Hastie drilled a double to score Wachtel and pull Saugerties to within 10-6.
But White again showed his mental toughness, and he struck out Depoalla to end the game.
The Stampede improves to 3-0 in pool play in the tournament, and it looks good for them to make the playoff round this weekend.