Guilderland reserves outlast Amsterdam in final non-league baseball tilt

PHOTOGRAPHER: Stan Hudy

Amsterdam base runner Kai Brennan dives back to first base on a pick-off throw from the pitcher Monday during a non-league match-up against Guilderland at Shuttleworth Park in Amsterdam.

AMSTERDAM — The Guilderland reserves spoiled the last regularly scheduled game for the Amsterdam Rams baseball team Monday afternoon.

Down by a run after three innings, Guilderland put up three runs in the top of the sixth-inning and hung on to a 6-5 non-league win at Shuttleworth Park in Amsterdam.

Rams starter Ryan Reagan gave up three runs in the first inning, all unearned after Calvin Gray’s two-run double that hit high up the left field fence at Shuttleworth.

Amsterdam rallied behind their starter, plating four runs of their own in the bottom half of the same inning on singles by Kai Brennan, Spencer Cotugno and Reagan. Brady Foss and Vincent Bottisti provided RBI singles behind them along with Ken Costantino driving in a run with his groundout to second base for a 4-3 lead.

After three innings, Amsterdam appeared poised for the win as both teams began inserting their bench players — all as planned.

“It’s a non-league game headed into sectionals; we want to make sure everybody gets some at bats, everybody throws a few innings,” Amsterdam coach Robbie Hisert said. “Everybody’s been doing something, so when they’re called they’re ready.”

The score stayed intact with Reagan leaving with the lead, going four innings, giving up three unearned runs on seven hits, striking out four and walking one.

Brennan came on and was touched up for three runs, all in his second inning. He had a quick first inning of work, striking out two and enticing a foul pop out.

“The first inning I felt pretty good and then in the second inning I think I was just kind of overdoing it a little bit,” Brennan said. “A little bit of nerves just trying to blow it by everybody. Just got in my head a little bit and kind of lost it.”

Guilderland’s Ryan Thompson and Ryan Gilbert led off the inning with back-to-back walks, leading to Brennan’s exit.

Manny Santos entered as a reliever with a short break from his start at shortstop, getting two outs before giving up a two-RBI single to reserve Jordan Bogado and an RBI single to Evan Harbeck to load the bases. Next, he hit reserve hitter Oliver Kowalski to force in the third run of the inning and gave Guiderland a 6-4 lead.

Amsterdam went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning before staging their own rally in their final at-bats.

Brennan reached on a throwing error before stealing second base. Santos then saw his grounder to third pass under the new fielder’s glove on the Shuttleworth turf.

With proverbial ducks on the pond, slugger Cotugno drilled a ball to deep center field. It landed safely in the fielder’s glove, but allowed Brennan to score, cutting the lead, 6-5.

Guilderland reliever Owen Simonsen enticed a foul pop out to third base and struck out the final batter to secure the non-league win.

Brennan’s short outing didn’t lift his spirits heading into the playoffs, but his final at-bat did.

“Sometimes pitching and defensive errors like that, the simple things, get in your head.” Brennan said. “To be able to come up and get on base, get some hits, score some runs, It just helps boost yourself that much and it really puts you back into the game.”

Amsterdam now awaits its fate from the Section 2 baseball seeding committee, meeting Tuesday, for its early round opponent — Wednesday or Friday.

“Now it’s about surviving and advancing, now is the fun time,” Hisert said. “This is what the whole season is for — to get here.

“We always want to get a high enough seed so that we have a home game, we always want that bye, we want those things. Once you’re in, it’s just who’s hot at the right time and what team shows up that day.”

Guilderland 300 002 0 — 6 10 2

Amsterdam 400 000 1 — 5 6 2