Kingston-Saugerties American Legion baseball team falls to Hamburg in senior tournament
The Kingston-Saugerties Posts Nos. 150 and Lamouree-Hackett 72 baseball team went 2-2 as hosts of the New York State American Legion Baseball Senior Tournament last week, rebounding from a tourney-opening loss to eventual champion Hamburg Post 527 by winning two straight before again falling to Hamburg. The tournament was held at Cantine Field in Saugerties between July 24-31.
Kingston-Saugerties opened the tournament with a 4-2 loss to Hamburg, knotting the game at 1-1 in the top of the third before giving up two runs and the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth. Nick Deising took the loss, giving up four earned runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings. Ethan Conrad led Posts 150-72 with three singles and an RBI, while Randy Dodig (double, single, walk), Gavin Groppuso (single, two walks, two runs) and Anthony Umhey (single) also contributed.
Posts 150-72 rebounded the following day with a 4-3 win over Clinton County Mariners. Isaiah Maines’ three-run triple in the home half of the fifth gave Kingston-Saugerties a late lead, while Dodig scored the game winning run in the bottom of the seventh. Dodig (2 singles, 2 runs), Groppuso (2 singles, run) and Conrad (single) again led the offense. Alex Mooers earned the win on the mound with 1 1/3 of relief, giving up just one walk.
On Monday, July 26, Kingston-Saugerties blasted Rockland Pirates Black Post 130 in a 6-2 win, scoring at least one run in the bottom of each inning after the first. Marciano Neglia earned the win, allowing five hits and two earned runs in four innings of work. Andrew Esposito picked up the save with three winnings of perfect relief.
Posts 150-72 made the most of their eight-hit, five-walk afternoon, with Ian Sickler both doubling and scoring twice to lead the way. Dodig (double, run), Groppuso (2 singles, RBI), Deising (single, run) and Matthew Belfance (single, 2 RBI) also pitching in.
The end of the road for Kingston-Saugerties came on Tuesday, July 27 in a 2-1 defeat to Hamburg. The game was a pitchers’ duel, with just seven hits and three walks between both teams. Belfance drove Umhey home in the top of the second inning, but the lead was short-lived with Hamburg adding two of their own in the home half. Maines took the loss, allowing just one earned run on three hits and two walks. Maines also struck out three. Moers pitched one inning of relief, walking two and striking out one.
Deising tripled in the game, while Umhey, Maines and Sickler each singled.
Kingston and Saugerties only joined forces last year, their first season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While Saugerties Post 72 has never won the state tournament, Kingston Post 150 was champion in 1934, 1986, 1988, and most recently in 1995 when they upended a four-year winning streak by Rockland Pirates Post 130. Kingston also won the junior division title in 2007 and 2011.
Amber Pennington wins sixth straight Ulster County Women’s Golf Association title
Amber Pennington won her sixth-straight Ulster County Women’s Golf Association championship on Sunday, August 1, closing with a 5-over-par 77 in the final round at The Twaalfskill Club in Kingston. She finished with a 72-79-77 — 228. She won the tournament by 22 strokes, an impressive measure even compared to her record 38-stroke win in 2019.
Pennington, an 18-year old Rondout Valley High School Class of 2019 alum was just 13 when she won the tournament for the first time in 2016. Pennington is entering her sophomore year at Delaware State University.
Pennington’s sixth straight win ties Wiggie DeLisio’s tournament record set between 1959-64. DeLisio has eight tournament wins overall; Pennington is currently tied with Marilyn Motzkin with six tournament wins.
Fellow Rondout Valley alum and current Ithaca College student Mary Gersec placed second with an 86-84-80 — 250. Rounding out the top five were Alexandra Cymbal (86-83-82 — 251), Kim Hines (87-86-82 — 255) and Cheryl Potter (94-86-81 — 261).
Saugerties Stallions enter best-of-three championship series
The Saugerties Stallions blasted their way into the Perfect Game College Baseball League (PGCBL) championships on Saturday night, dispatching the Geneva Red Wings 8-2 in the semifinal round at Cantine Field.
The Stallions found their offensive rhythm early, plating a pair of runs in the home half of the first inning after Kip Fougerousse (Indiana) and Cade Verdusco (Grand Canyon) scored on an Andrew Wilhite triple.
The Red Wings got one back in the top of the second on an RBI single by Nicholas Serce, which brought Elliott Good home on a balletic play to evade Saugerties catcher Max Morris (St. Thomas).
Saugerties added a run in the fourth when a Nick Iverson (UC Davis) sent Morris to third; the catcher came home on a wild throw by Geneva’s Korson Hastings. The Stallions added two more when Verdusco scored on a Wilhite homer over the right field fence
The Red Wings would score for the final time in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Ben Griffin. But the Stallions put the game out of reach in the bottom of the eighth when walks by Caden Kendle (UC Irvine) and Jarrett Brown (Georgia Southern) were followed by a three-run blast by Josh Stevenson (LSU).
Starting pitcher Andres Auffant (Franklin Pierce) earned the win for Saugerties, giving up two runs with a pair of walks and a strikeout over 5 1/3 innings. Michael Stanford (UC Irvine) picked up the save with a pair of walks and a strikeout over two innings.
The Stallions improved to 28-12 on the season with the win, their reward a title bout with the first-place Amsterdam Mohawks. They hosted the first game in a best-of-three championship series at Cantine on Monday after Hudson Valley One went to press. The second and — if necessary — third games will be played at Shuttleworth Park in Amsterdam. It’s the first visit to the PGCBL championships in Stallions history.
New Paltz spring Scholar Athletes hurdle every obstacle
Varsity athletes from New Paltz Central School District (NPCSD) shine on both the playing field and, more importantly, in the classroom. New York Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) recently announced its spring Scholar Athletes and Scholar Team designations from 501 participating schools across the State, with an impressive presence of NPCSD athletes.
NYSPHSAA is in its 29th year of designating Scholar-Athletes. To qualify for the individual scholar-athlete award, students must earn a GPA of 90 percent or higher. For a team to receive the scholar-team award, 75 percent of the team’s roster must have a total average of 90 or above.
Health, Physical Education and Athletics Director Gregory Warren said the student-athletes earned their recognition. “We are very proud of the consistent and high achieving academic performance of our student-athletes,” he said. “Our student-athletes continued to perform with excellence in the classroom and on the field of competition.”
Spring 2020-21 Scholar-Athlete team averages
Varsity baseball: 93.26; varsity boys’ golf: 93.95; varsity girls’ golf: 95.46; varsity girls’ lacrosse: 94.36; varsity softball: 93.81; varsity boys’ tennis: 93.99; varsity boys’ track & field: 93.18; varsity girls’ track & field: 96.94; overall team averages: 92.90.
Spring 2020-2021 Scholar-Athlete individuals (MHAL)
Varsity baseball — Alexander Barbato, Anthony Drewnowski, Brian Kotalik, Peter Leach, Pierce Lutz, Michael Lynn,Maxwell Miller, Aidan Sheedy, Ethan Swanander.
Varsity boys’ golf — Stephen Carr, Joshua Clinton, John Goodermote, Loyal Goodermote, Frank Natoli, Oliver Watson.
Varsity girls’ golf — Flora Pierson, Laci Pindar, Alyssa Puleo, Aracely Watson.
Varsity boys’ lacrosse — Fabio Alvarez, Cain Osarczuk, Ander Pierson, Brady Saunders.
Varsity girls’ lacrosse — Lillian Brustein, Piper Casey, Ava Grae Cronin, Peyton Curley, Keira Dolan, Madison Garcia, Kelly Hansen, Kendall Lucchesi, Kylie Mattsen, Madison McPadden-Gambler, Fiona O’Hara, Lily Zaborowski.
Varsity softball — Jordan Bailin, Isabella Finch, Alexandra Frenza, Natalya Knoth, Emily Lawrence, Angelena Pecoraro, Jena Russo, Natalee Watts.
Varsity boys’ tennis — Ryan Hovey, Jonathan Lynn, Trey Nitza, Nectarios Rodriguez, Mason Roepe, Lucas Weinman.
Varsity boys’ track & field — Noah Brown, Riley Brutvan, Joaquin Crosby-Lizarde, Alexander Demis, Beckett Evans, Mason Eyler, Noah Fishman, Finn Gibson, Giuseppe Giordano, Maxwell Hawkins, Campbell Heiz, Jacob Ingrassia, Aidan McCrory, Alexander Peyser, Griffin Rynne, Chace Snyder, Miles Vigna, Koby Wulfmeyer.
Varsity girls’ track & field — Kylie Ayala, Sadie Beach, Lydia Brutvan, Riley Burdick, Sophia Camiola, Briana Carlini, Sofia Carucci, Ella Constable, Margaret DiDonna, Flavia Drazek, Hannah Ettinger, Marla Mae Feeney, Taishan Fontes-Janusz, Alexa Friedman, Elise Gingold, Avery Greger, Aidan Hoover, Lora Johnson, Melanie Kniffen, Kalle Masseo, Zlata Shmarina, Ella Urrico, Siri Walsh.
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