Nine innings just doesn’t seem to be enough for the Little Falls Miners when they face the Amsterdam Mohawks.
After playing a 19-inning game in their last meeting in the next-to-last regular season game of the 2007 season, the longest game in New York Collegiate Baseball League history, the Miners and Mohawks needed 15 innings to decide last night’s game.
Stosh Hoover’s two-run triple in the top of the 15th brought in the go-ahead runs as the Mohawks outlasted the Miners 6-4 in the longest game in this early part of the NYCBL season.
Hoover’s third hit of the game missed being a three-run homer by just inches, but was enough to lift the Mohawks (3-1) to the win and atop the Eastern Division standings.
Amsterdam got solid pitching out of its bullpen as four relievers allowed just one run over the final 11 innings.
That one run by the Miners came in the eighth inning to tie the game at four and eventually force extra innings.
Jacquin Valdes (Palm Beach Atlantic) started the eighth by reaching on an infield hit. Mike Augustine (Boston College) followed with a awalk and Dave Laufer (Boston College) was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Zach Thoma (University of Kansas) then walked for his third RBI of the night to tie the game.
It was Thoma’s two-run double that capped a three-run fourth inning and brought the Miners within a run at 4-3.
The Mohawks got off to a quick start as Spencer Korus blasted a first-inning homer. Then Amsterdam scored a run in the second and two more in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead. Amsterdam had 11 hits over the first four innings and finished with 19 for the game.
Things could have been worse for the Miners if not for a great defensive play by Laufer in the second inning. The leftfielder made a sliding catch just behind shortstop then threw to first to double off a runner. Amsterdam later scored a run in that inning, but Laufer’s catch got rid of two potential baserunners.
Little Falls’ bullpen pitched very well. After starter Brett Almeida (Bryan College) struggled through the first four innings, Joe Rodriguez (Indiana State) was stellar over the next five innings not allowing a hit and striking out five.
Jake Arendsen then struck out a batter with the bases loaded to end the tenth inning and Eric Fama struck out seven in four innings of work while allowing just two hits.
Ricky Breymier pitched five shutout innings of relief allowing just two hits to pick up the win for Amsterdam.
Laufer finished with three hits for the Miners, who had 11 for the game. Nick Campbell (Bryant College) added two hits.
Little Falls had won last year’s marathon game with Amsterdam on James Donaldson’s walk-off grand slam homer.
Tonight the Miners host the Bennington Bombers in the first “Thirsty Thursday” of the season. There is free admission to the game compliments of Smoke Free Mohawk Valley and Reality Check and all beverages are only $1.