Saugerties Stallions win home opener after two losses on the road

After losing their first two games on the road, a 5-4 squeaker to the Jamestown Jammers and a 15-12 slugfest against the Elmira Pioneers, the Saugerties Stallions picked up their first win by drubbing the Oneonta Outlaws in their home opener at Cantine Field last Sunday night by an 8-2 score. A June 6 game at Oneonta was postponed.

In their opening game on the road against the Jammers, the Stallions held a two-run lead into the seventh inning on the basis of several walks and an RBI single by Matt Forlow in the third inning. In the bottom of the seventh, the Jammers erupted for four runs.

In the top of the ninth, Stallion Nick Campana cut the lead to one run with an RBI hit. With two outs, first baseman Connor Moroder came through with a clutch hit to tie the game up at 4-4.

In the bottom of the tenth, the Jammers loaded the bases with a hit and two walks. Another hit with one out gave the Stallions their first loss of the season and the Jammers their first win.

Stallions starter Nick Alvarado threw two and two-thirds innings giving up two hits and not allowing a run. Losing pitcher Matt Jones threw three innings allowing four hits.

In their home opener the next night, the Elmira Pioneers picked up eight runs in the first inning, six against against Stallions starter Austin Batcheldor, and eventually prevailed over the visiting Stallions by a 15-12 score. Saugerties came back with three runs in the second inning. In the third inning the Pioneers extended their lead to 10-3. In the fourth inning the scrappy Stallions came back with six runs on the back of two-out clutch hits by outfielder Nick Campana and first baseman Andrew Taft.

With the score 10-9 going into the seventh inning, the Pioneers added four runs to take a 14-9 lead. But in the eighth the Stallions scored three runs and had the bases loaded. A double play quashed the rally and left the Sawyers two runs behind. Elmira added an insurance run in the eighth and a double play in the ninth to secure the 15-12 victory.

Home for the first time, the Stallions scored a lopsided 8-2 victory against the Onteora Outlaws Sunday night at a rainy Cantine Field. The Stallions had the benefit of strong pitching from starter Nick Alvarado, winning pitcher Jason Antalek (who went two and two-thirds innings, and Matt Pushard, who had a  one-two-three ninth inning.

Thanks to a base-clearing triple in the bottom of the third by Matt Forlow and a sacrifice fly, the Stallions scored four runs. In the fourth, Forlow brought home another run with a single to center field.
In the top of the fifth, the Outlaws came back with two runs, but second basemen Connor Moroder snagged a ball in the air to end the inning. Right fielder Matt Feinstein made a nifty diving catch the next inning. The Stallions defense proved more than adequate against Oneonta.

Stallions schedule through June 15

Utica Blue Sox, 7 p.m. Thursday, June 8 at Cantine Field

Glens Falls Dragons, time TBA, Friday, June 9

Albany Dutchmen, 7 p.m. Saturday, June 10 at Cantine Field

Amsterdam Mohawks,7 p.m. Sunday, June 11 at Cantine Field

Amsterdam Mohawks,7 p.m. Monday, June 12

Glens Falls Dragons, 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 13 at Cantine Field

Elmira Pioneers, 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 14 at Cantine Field

Amsterdam Mohawks, 7 p.m. Thursday, June 15 at Cantine Field

Tickets are $5 at the gate for adults 18 and over; $3 for students, seniors (60+) and military. Children under twelve are admitted free.