By: Aidan Joly
Saratoga varsity baseball played two games for their midweek slate this week, taking on Columbia on Wednesday and Ballston Spa on Thursday. The Blue Streaks went 1-1 in those two games.
Saratoga vs Columbia: Wednesday
It took until the bottom of the seventh, but Saratoga was able to pull off a 3-2 victory in walk-off style thanks to the heroics of Matt Triola’s game-winning single. The game was tied 1-1 for most of the way until Saratoga scored in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI groundout from Jake Fauler. However, Columbia would not be denied, being down to their last strike at one point before Justin Pangburn ripped a two-out single to tie the game 2-2.
Saratoga would load the bases with one out in the bottom half of the seventh before Devin McArthur was called out on a force at home for the second out of the inning. That was when Triola, a late addition to the game, stepped in. He ripped a long fly ball into left field that just got over the outstretched arm of Brady Carroll, allowing Jake Fauler to jog in from third to take a thrilling win.
“I was trying to just make contact with the ball, put it in play and hope for the best, and it worked out,” Triola said.
Saratoga vs Ballston Spa: Thursday
After a barrage of runs early on from both sides that led to the game being tied at four at the end of just three innings, Ballston Spa was able to pull away with late runs to win the game by a final score of 7-5.
Ballston Spa got the scoring going, grabbing four runs in the top of the second inning, highlighted by a two-run double off the bat of catcher Jake Manderson. Saratoga did not back down after that, scoring four runs of their own in the bottom of the third, spearheaded by an RBI double from Keegan Leffler and an RBI triple from Brian Hart to tie the game at four.
Ballston Spa would re-take the lead in the fifth inning thanks to an RBI single from Luke Gold and Jared Winkle scoring on a wild pitch, and would score once again in the sixth on an RBI single from Jake Fox to make it 7-4. Saratoga would leave the tying run on first base in the seventh, suffering their first loss of the season.
“I think we’re putting ourselves in situations to be successful, we just have to come through with that hit. If that ball falls (the last play of the game) and Keegan (Leffler) scores from first, it’s a brand-new ballgame,” Saratoga head coach Andy Cuthbertson said.
Ballston Spa improves to 3-0 on the season and Columbia is now 0-3 after a loss to Troy on Thursday.
Saratoga is now 4-1 on the season, and will play again on Friday taking on Shenendehowa in the first “Battle of I-87” game. That game will be played at Shuttleworth Park in Amsterdam. First pitch is scheduled for 1 PM.