On the mound, in the field and at the plate, Glens Falls had it all working Thursday at Bruce Bouck Memorial Field, and sent Schalmont packing early from the Section II baseball tournament.
“This is probably our best game of the season, as far as contributions up and down the lineup,” sophomore pitcher Mike Harrington said after the Indians’ 10-2 Class A quarterfinal win. “It was a well-rounded game.”
Glens Falls played flawless defense behind Harrington’s seven-hit pitching, and the Indians collected 14 base hits and scored early and late in a contest that left Sabres coach Bob Anderson simply tipping his cap.
Alex Wright had two doubles, a single, an RBI and scored three runs for Foothills Council runner-up Glens Falls, and Dylan Mejo had a double, two singles, an RBI and scored two times.
“They did everything right,” Anderson said of Glens Falls’ offensive display that included multiple hits in five inning. “They were patient at the plate, took what was given to them and hit the ball all over the field.”
The Indians (No. 5 seed, 13-6) built a 4-0 lead through their first three at-bats, collected four runs in the seventh, and Harrington finished off the game by striking out the side after Kevin Drislane had doubled for the Sabres (No. 4, 14-6).
“Schalmont has been known to hit the ball,” said Harrington, who struck out seven, walked three and picked off a runner in a rematch from a 2009 Class B semifinal that the Sabres won. “We tried to throw them off with everything we had.”
Glens Falls earned a semifinal matchup with Scotia-Glenville Saturday at 3 at The College of Saint Rose’s Pulmeri Complex after the Tartans upset Foothills Council champion Queensbury, 7-6.
“I told my guys yesterday that hitting comes and goes, but if you make routine plays and get halfway decent pitching, you can stay in the game,” said Glens Falls coach Dave Casey.
Glens Falls made all the routine plays and one spectacular one in the third when Wright raced deep into left field, jumped high and snagged a shot off the bat of Joe Paskevich. The flyout produced Schalmont’s second run, while the Sabres got their first just before on consecutive singles by Tom Urbanski, Greg Musk and Chris Amorosi.
“After that inning, I had to spot my fastball more. I had to put it in places where they couldn’t hit it,” said Harrington. “I was out there trying to throw strikes and have my defense do what they always do for me.”
Schalmont managed two singles and Drislane’s double over the final four innings.
“We had five hits in each of our last three games,” said Anderson. “We just stopped hitting the baseball. They got big hits, and we didn’t get big hits.”
Nick McKinney picked up three singles and scored three runs for the Indians, James Rizzo, Joe Robbins and Zach Milton each had an RBI single and Bryce Harrington highlighted their four-run seventh with a two-run single.
Glens Falls scored on three wild pitches, two by Amorosi and another by Drislane.
Amorosi had a double to go along with his RBI single in Schalmont’s second straight quarterfinal loss. The Sabres fell to Averill Park last year, 7-0.
Tartans advance
Joe Marcello gave Scotia-Glenville (No. 9, 13-10) a 7-5 lead with an RBI single in the sixth, and pitched out of a jam in the seventh to send the Tartans into the semifinals for the first time since 2008.
Queensbury (No. 1, 17-3) had the bases loaded in the seventh and a run in on Kevin Valenti’s RBI single when Marcello got a forceout at home, recorded a strikeout and then handled a grounder and ran to tag first for the final out.
Andrew Wildrick had two triples, a single and two RBI for Scotia-Glenville, John Mancini legged out a triple, and Ian Schoonmaker’s two-run single gave the visitors a 6-2 lead in the fifth. Valenti finished with two doubles and two singles for the Spartans.
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (No. 2, 12-10) and Catholic Central (No. 10, 12-5) were suspended due to inclement weather in the third inning with the Spartans leading, 4-1. The game will resume today at BH-BL at 4.
Elsewhere, Averill Park (No. 3, 9-10) posted a 6-1 win over Lansingburgh (No. 6, 13-6).
GLENS FALLS 10, SCHALMONT 2
Glens Falls 121 020 4 — 10 14 0
Schalmont 002 000 0 — 2 7 1
M. Harrington and B. Harrington; Amorosi, Drislane (6) and Paskevich.
SCOTIA-GLENVILLE 7, QUEENSBURY 6
S-G 001 231 0 — 7 9 3
Queensbury 100 130 1 — 6 11 0
Forshey, Marcello (7) and Schoonmaker; Davis, Peltz (5) and Valenti.
Categories: High School Sports
