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The Amsterdam Mohawks are the New York Collegiate Baseball League’s reigning champions. Elmira’s Pioneers won the 2007 title. One of those teams will take home this year’s championship.
The league’s top two teams from the regular season will square off in a best-of-three series beginning Friday at Amsterdam’s Shuttleworth Park. Neither lost a game in the first two round of postseason play, a streak that will end for one of the teams in Game 1.
There are similarities between the teams. Both finished the regular season at 27-15 and atop their division standings. While Amsterdam held off a late charge by the Oneonta Outlaws and won the Eastern Division title by one game, Elmira held a 3 1/2-game cushion over runner-up Allegany County in the Western Division.
Amsterdam lost three games in a row before closing the regular season with a win then sweeping playoff series against Cooperstown and Glens Falls. The three-game losing streak was Amsterdam’s second of the season and followed nine straight wins.
After beating Cooperstown 3-1 at home to open the playoffs, Amsterdam was involved in the oddest game of the postseason. The Mohawks and Hawkeyes played 12 innings in Cooperstown July 31 before play was suspended due to darkness. Tied at 4, the game was moved to Amsterdam the following day to be completed ahead of a decisive third game, if needed. When play resumed, Amsterdam shortstop Brian Martutartus homered on the first pitch from Mike Barsotti and the Mohawks won 5-4 in the 13th.
In the Eastern Division finals, Amsterdam defeated Glens Falls 5-4 at home then got a combined shutout from Sean Bouthilette and Justin Van Grouw in a 6-0 victory at Glens Falls.
Kyle Koeneman has drive in six runs and scored five in four playoff games for the Mohawks. Neither Bouthilette nor Kyle Hunter allowed a run in his first postseason start. Hunter, who came within one out of a no-hitter at Veterans Memorial Park in July, struck out nine batters, walked none and allowed three hits over eight innings in the first game of the Cooperstown series.
Elmira started the season 1-4 but has lost back-to-back games only twice since then. The Pioneers’ longest winning streak is seven games then they have dominated in the playoffs, allowing a total of six runs while sweeping Alfred (8-2 and 4-2) and Allegany County (10-0 and 3-2).
The Elmira bullpen has not allowed a run in 7 2/3 postseason innings while Corey Keller has .417 average and six runs scored to lead the offense.
The second game is Saturday in Elmira with a third, if necessary, to follow.
Compiled From Times Staff Reports
The Amsterdam Mohawks are the New York Collegiate Baseball League’s reigning champions. Elmira’s Pioneers won the 2007 title. One of those teams will take home this year’s championship.
The league’s top two teams from the regular season will square off in a best-of-three series beginning Friday at Amsterdam’s Shuttleworth Park. Neither lost a game in the first two round of postseason play, a streak that will end for one of the teams in Game 1.
There are similarities between the teams. Both finished the regular season at 27-15 and atop their division standings. While Amsterdam held off a late charge by the Oneonta Outlaws and won the Eastern Division title by one game, Elmira held a 3 1/2-game cushion over runner-up Allegany County in the Western Division.
Amsterdam lost three games in a row before closing the regular season with a win then sweeping playoff series against Cooperstown and Glens Falls. The three-game losing streak was Amsterdam’s second of the season and followed nine straight wins.
After beating Cooperstown 3-1 at home to open the playoffs, Amsterdam was involved in the oddest game of the postseason. The Mohawks and Hawkeyes played 12 innings in Cooperstown July 31 before play was suspended due to darkness. Tied at 4, the game was moved to Amsterdam the following day to be completed ahead of a decisive third game, if needed. When play resumed, Amsterdam shortstop Brian Martutartus homered on the first pitch from Mike Barsotti and the Mohawks won 5-4 in the 13th.
In the Eastern Division finals, Amsterdam defeated Glens Falls 5-4 at home then got a combined shutout from Sean Bouthilette and Justin Van Grouw in a 6-0 victory at Glens Falls.
Kyle Koeneman has drive in six runs and scored five in four playoff games for the Mohawks. Neither Bouthilette nor Kyle Hunter allowed a run in his first postseason start. Hunter, who came within one out of a no-hitter at Veterans Memorial Park in July, struck out nine batters, walked none and allowed three hits over eight innings in the first game of the Cooperstown series.
Elmira started the season 1-4 but has lost back-to-back games only twice since then. The Pioneers’ longest winning streak is seven games then they have dominated in the playoffs, allowing a total of six runs while sweeping Alfred (8-2 and 4-2) and Allegany County (10-0 and 3-2).
The Elmira bullpen has not allowed a run in 7 2/3 postseason innings while Corey Keller has .417 average and six runs scored to lead the offense.
The second game is Saturday in Elmira with a third, if necessary, to follow.
Compiled From Times Staff Reports
