Wednesday, May 20, 2015 by Aidan Joly
Saratoga started off their sixth and final week of the regular season with a win, but things turned for the worse later in the week.
The Streaks started off on Monday with a win over Shenendehowa by a score of 5-1, on a complete game effort from Danny Hobbs. Hobbs allowed just four hits and one walk and struck batters out four times.
“Shen is always a great team,” Hobbs said. “To be able to shut them down today was really special.”
The offense was piloted from the bottom of the batting order, with Danny Coleman walking with the bases loaded in the third. Brendan Coffey backed that up with an RBI single, and Marshall Kiesow, Zach Guzi and Brandon Hipsley each added RBIs later in the game.
“I was pretty confident we could come back and I could try and lay one down, just try to jump on the first pitch,” Coffey said of his team’s offense.
As the team moved on to Wednesday, they took on Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake. They would drop this one by a score of 5-2, handing Saratoga their first home loss of the 2015 season behind a complete game from BH-BL pitcher Jon Sell.
Sell said, “We just were having a good game, and our team was able to make a lot of plays. We just played really well today.”
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake head coach Rob Duell said, “I just thought Jon (Sell) did a great job today. Obviously, they’re a great offensive team, and to hold them to just a couple runs is a really great job.”
The team would drop yet another decision on the road versus Ballston Spa on Thursday.
Early Friday morning, Saratoga athletic director Peter Sheehan confirmed that Blue Streaks head coach Dean Bailey had been relieved of his duties due to an incident after Wednesday’s game, when he addressed his team on the field after the loss.
A press release from the school district released later Friday stated, “Dean Bailey, coach of the Saratoga Springs boys’ varsity baseball team, has been relieved of his coaching duties for the remainder of the season following an investigation of allegations of violations the school district’s coaching handbook.”
It went on to say, “Following the investigation, it was determined that Coach Bailey addressed his team in a manner and tone that did not meet the standard of professionalism expected from our coaching staff.”
Assistant coach Richard Lofink would take over for Friday’s game, and will take over for the rest of the season.
Entering an emotional game Friday night, which was also a Coaches vs. Cancer event, the Streaks honored former Saratoga teacher Brenda Adams, who passed away earlier this year from cancer.
The Streaks allowed two early runs in the first inning to Schuylerville, but that would be only two runs of three runs that Jake Kerr would surrender in five innings of work, and the Streaks won the game by a score of 4-3.
Coach Lofink said, “It was a great game for both teams, getting ready for sectionals next week.”
The two teams raised $6,500 at the game and donated it to the American Cancer Society.
Saratoga finishes up the regular season with a record of 15-5, and will enter sectionals next week as one of the top teams. Their seed and date they will play has yet to be determined.
