Monday, May 16, 2016 Story and photos by Aidan Joly
Going into the final push of the regular season, Saratoga looked to end the year on a high note, and they did just that.
Saratoga played four games in the final week of the regular season, and came out on top on all four.
After road wins against Niskayuna and Shaker, Saratoga returned home on Thursday, taking on bitter rival Shenendehowa. The Blue Streaks would win the game by a score of 8-6, handing the Plainsmen their second league loss of the 2016 season.
Saratoga came out swinging, as they had taken a 3-1 lead after just one inning, due to back-to-back home runs off the bats of Danny Coleman and Brendon Frank.
“I was just trying to get a good swing on it, and in the grand scheme of things, it was just one run,” Coleman said.
Saratoga would have to battle back once again, as Shenendehowa took a 4-3 lead in the top of the third on three straight doubles from Richard Drum, Mike Jeffers and Ben Anderson.
They fought back in the bottom half, taking back the lead 6-4, and never surrendered the lead after that.
“I think one of the positive things was that we didn’t get too excited or too low when we were up or down, and stayed calm,” Saratoga head coach Andy Cuthbertson said.
They returned home on Saturday night for a senior night game, taking on Schuylerville. The offense went wild, winning by a score of 22-2.
Saratoga scored 16 runs in the first two innings, putting the game out of reach early.
Danny Coleman would once again star, going 4-4 with four runs scored, coming a home run shy of the cycle. He also drew a walk.
“I think our bats are hot right now, and we’re going to keep it that way,” Cuthbertson said.
Saratoga would unload the bench starting in the third inning, and every single active player on the Saratoga roster would get into the game at one time or another.
In Saturday’s game, Saratoga would have a “no place like home” theme, and the team honored the Frolish family, as their two sons, Peter and Phillip, have duchenne muscular dystrophy. The team and fans raised $6,000 for renovations for their home. They were also honored during a pregame ceremony.
“I just told the guys, it’s a man’s job doing what they did, raising that amount of money for those guys, and be thankful that we’re lucky enough to play day in and day out, and anything we can do to help them is much appreciated,” Cuthbertson said.
Saratoga finishes the 2016 regular season with an overall record of 12-8, and a league record of 11-6, tied with Guilderland for fourth in the Suburban Council. They will play in the playoffs, and their date and opponent will be revealed during the league meeting on Monday morning.