Schalmont took all the drama out of its Colonial Council baseball game with Cobleskill-Richmondville Wednesday with a six-run, second-inning outburst.
The Sabres’ response to a three-run Bulldogs’ sixth was a half-dozen more runs in their next at-bat.
“It was nice to get out in front early,” said Schalmont senior left fielder Nick Bird, after a 14-3 win. “What I liked is how we were still hungry and wanted more.”
Schalmont didn’t get enough in Monday’s 5-3 loss at Voorheesville, and got just enough Tuesday in a 6-5, 10-inning win against Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk that was decided on Bird’s walk-off home run.
“We’ve lost a couple of games. We got the wake-up call we needed,” said Bird, referring to 6-3 loss to Lansingburgh last week and Monday’s setback. “We pulled one out [the Ravena game] to get back on track, and we put up 14 today. Hopefully, this is the start of something for us.”
Schalmont (5-2, 8-3) rattled off a school-record 22 straight victories last season, capped by two in the state Class B final four, when it claimed its first New York championship.
“We’re not the same team as last year, but who says we can’t make a deep run?” said junior catcher Tony Silvestri. “We realize now that we can’t take it easy. We’ve had a couple of wake-up calls. No slouching from here on out.”
The Sabres were on their game Wednesday.
“We hit the ball. We made plays. We pitched the ball. It all came together,” said first-year Schalmont coach Christopher Teta. “We needed one of these, where you throw your weight around a little bit.”
Chris Hamilton launched a two-run homer and a sacrifice fly, nine other Sabres had at least one hit and Alex Schlag took a shutout into the sixth inning. The junior was backed by some superb defense, including a double play started by Matt Rash, and the sophomore shortstop’s backhand stab in the hole and throw to first that ended the contest.
“It’s nice to have a strong defense behind you when your best stuff isn’t working,” said Schlag.
Schlag still had plenty in his six innings, scattering seven hits and allowing two earned runs. He struck out five and walked four in boosting his personal log to 3-0.
“The kid didn’t pitch at all last year. Maybe a couple of innings,” said Teta. “I told him in the beginning of the year, ‘You’re going to one of our top four guys,’ and he’s pitched great since his first outing.”
“It’s nice to get a chance and make something of it,” said Schlag.
Schlag was at his best in the fifth when he sandwiched strikeouts around an infield force after Brett Sommers and Ryan Snyder opened with singles.
The young hurler also helped himself with a pickoff, and got help from Silvestri twice when his backstop made difficult grabs on high pops. Bird added his own defensive gem with a strong throw that nailed Joe Campbell as he tried to stretch one of his two singles into a double.
“Our defense has played great all year,” said Teta. “Ever since I’ve been here, we’ve preached defense.”
Two errors and two walks by the Bulldogs aided the Sabres’ six-run second inning that was highlighted by Hamilton’s first homer of the season. Brion Dufek had a sacrifice fly in the frame, and Silvestri and Kaelen Meers both had an RBI single.
Schalmont’s seventh included a two-run doubles by Meers and Tim Ryan, an RBI single by Rash and an RBI groundout by Schlag.
“Games like this, when we make plays and hit the ball, it boosts our confidence,” said Bird, who doubled and scored on Hamilton’s sacrifice fly in the first. “We can take this into our next game.”
“You feel good about yourself after a game like this,” said Schlag. “You want to keep it rolling.”
Zyere Molinaro had two infield singles for the Bulldogs (1-5, 3-7), Carmine Consalvo doubled, and Jared Almy picked up an RBI when he walked with the bases full in the sixth.
Hamilton earned the win with three innings of relief Tuesday, and Anthony Yezzo hit a two-run homer.
C-R 000 003 0 — 3 7 2
Schalmont 260 006 x — 14 13 1
Consalvo, McCarthy (2), Molinaro (3), Lewis (5), Hagadorn (6) and Campbell, Snyder (5); Schlag, Kelly (7) and Silvestri.
Categories: High School Sports
