Tristen Carranza (New Mexico State) launched a solo home run to left and Chris Givin (Xavier) deposited a two-run blast to left to give the Mohawks a 5-3 win over the Glens Falls Dragons at Shuttleworth Park on Thursday night.
PGCBL All-Star Game MVP Robbie Knightes (St. John’s) led the Dragons offensively going 2-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored. Amsterdam was led by Givin, who went 2-for-3, adding a single to the mix. Terrence Pinkston (Norfolk State) also went 2-for-3 in his Mohawk debut with two singles and two runs scored.
Glens Falls struck first in the third inning. Knightes led off the inning with a double to right field. Chris Kwitzer (Buffalo), winner of the PGCBL Home Run Derby, worked a walk two batters later and both runners advanced ninety feet on a groundout. Griffin Neuer’s (Bellarmine) RBI single brought both runners in and put the Dragons up 2-0.
Amsterdam clawed back in the bottom half of the fourth when Carranza, Amsterdam’s participant in the Home Run Derby, took a 1-2 pitch deep to left field with two outs to make it a 2-1 game. The home run was Carranza’s fifth of the season.
In the fifth, Pinkston singled with one out and scored two batters later when Givin blasted a 3-2 pitch out to left to put the Mohawks up 3-2. The round tripper was Givin’s second of the season.
Glens Falls tied the game in the top of the seventh after Ryan Hooper (UC Davis) doubled with one out and scored two batters later on Nate Cardy’s (Gannon) single to center to make it 3-3.
Amsterdam responded in the bottom half. Pinkston led off with a single and advanced to second on a balk by Glens Falls starter Bryan Warzek (New Orleans). After moving to third on a groundout, Pinkston scored on a wild pitch to put Amsterdam back on top 4-3. Tyler Frank (Florida Atlantic) worked a two-out walk, stole second, and scored on Nick Patten’s (Delaware) single to make it 5-3.
On the mound, Mike Bonaiuto (Fairfield) picked up the win to improve to 4-0 out of the bullpen. Bonaiuto pitched 1.1 innings, gave up two hits, one run, and struck out two. The loss went to Warzek, who dropped to 1-3 after pitching 6.2 innings, in which he allowed eight hits, five runs, walked four, and struck out six. Tim Naughton (NC State) picked up his fourth save of the season.
With the win, Amsterdam moved to 28-13 and lowered their “magic number” to 8. They’ll look to chip away at that again on Friday night when they host the Albany Dutchmen at Shuttleworth Park at 6:35 p.m. Glens Falls dropped to 14-23 and will look to bounce backon Friday when they host Mohawk Valley in a doubleheader at East Field beginning at 5 p.m.
