The Saugerties Stallions saw their season come to an end earlier this month with a 5-3 road loss to the Amsterdam Mohawks in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League’s East Division championship game. The Stallions failed to defend their league title, won for the first time in team history one year earlier and more importantly they may have played their final game.
In an announcement posted to their social media pages on Saturday, August 6, the Hinchey family said they would be stepping aside as owners of the popular team, which in its six seasons in Saugerties drew huge crowds at its home games at Cantine Field, included former members of the New York Yankees on the coaching staff and saw local families open their doors to college players from around the country for the summer season.
“Thank you to our Saugerties Stallions family for another wonderful season,” read the Hinchey statement. “We have had an incredible journey these past (seven) years, creating new friendships with some amazing people from all over the country. Some who have become our family. Every single one of our players and their families has had a huge impact on our lives and holds a special place in our hearts.”
The statement did not say that the team would cease to exist, only that the family would no longer be involved as owners.
“It was a decision that was a difficult one and one that will leave a void in our lives for sure,” read the Hinchey statement. “It is our hope that a new owner will take over and continue our dedication to our community and move forward with the same love and passion for the program as we had.”
In its six seasons of play — 2020 was canceled early in the COPVID-19 pandemic — the Stallions made the playoffs five times and won the PGCBL championship in 2021.
In the season finale against Amsterdam, the Stallions took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Garrison Berkley, an outfielder from Texas Christian University, smacked an RBI double. Berkley would later score on a dropped strike three that saw the ball roll to the backstop.
The Mohawks scored once each in the second and third innings to knot the game at 2-2 before the Stallions retook the lead in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Jehlani Rogers, an outfielder from Florida Gulf Coast University.
But while the well had run dry for the Stallions, Amsterdam plated three runs in the home half of the sixth with back-to-back RBI singles by catcher Mark Black and center fielder Nick Giamarusti. While the Stallions threatened from then on, they were unable to score another run.
It was a topsy-turvy season for Saugerties, which opened slowly before peeling off a series of winning streaks. The Stallions finished in third place in the East Division with an overall record of 27-19. While the middle of the season saw them play as hot as the Hudson Valley temperature, they had a 5-4-1 record in their final ten games, well behind the pace of the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs, who went 9-1 over the same stretch to finish one game ahead of Saugerties.
Where the Stallions go from here remains to be seen. The Hinchey family, including Owner and Team President Kevin Hinchey, are hopeful this isn’t the end of the team.
“Our sincere heartfelt thank you to our fans and supporters,” read the Hinchey family statement. “These years could not have been possible without you. There are too many people to name individually, but please know that our success was your success, and we are forever grateful to you all. As always … roll ponies.”
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