Glens Falls, NY- The Glens Falls Dragons put their modest two game winning streak on the line at East Field Friday night against the Saugerties Stallions. Saugerties was looking for their first win of the year. The game took 10 innings to complete, but when the dust settled the Stallions had a “W’ in their column as they earned a 10-6 victory.
The Stallions got out to a quick start in the top of the first. Glens Falls starter Brandon Abdul (Goldey-Beacom) walked the bases full with one out in the inning. Derek Ripp (Arkansas) then reached on an infield single to plate Herman Alvarado (Nyack College) with the first run of the ballgame.
The Dragons got even in the top of the second when a pair of LIU-Post Pioneers smacked back to back doubles. Anthony Vaglica led off the frame with a two-bagger to center and came home to score on a Zach Fritz double. Fritz raced home to hand Glens Falls the lead on a passed ball to make it 2-1.
The Stallions loaded the bases on a hit batter and a pair of walks in the fourth to chase Abdul from the mound. Kyle Cutler (Johnson and Wales) came on in relief for Glens Falls to shut down the rally.
Glens Falls extended the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth when Vaglica singled and came around to score on an RBI double by Josh Arndt (Cornell).
Michael Nunez (USC-Lancaster) took the bump for the Dragons in the seventh. Tyler Kelder hit a one out single to spark Saugerties. Ripp followed with a single and Andrew Taft (Le Moyne) reached on an error that scored Kelder to make it 3-2. Henry Eilen then singled up the middle to score Ripp and pinch hitter Cam Coakley (Stetson) to give the Stallions a 4-3 lead.
The Dragons tied the game 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh when Saugerties reliever Gregory Allard (Stony Brook) came on with the bases loaded and walked Nate Cobb (Malone U.). Ryan Smith (Boston College) began the inning, but walked the bases full after retiring the first two batters.
Saugerties responded quickly in the eighth to grab the lead back. Cameron Comer (Virginia) led off with a single and Kelder doubled to put runners on second and third. The Stallions extended it to a two run lead on an RBI double by John Dempsey (Wofford).
Glens Falls pulled within 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth. Arndt singled and Matt Ferreiro (Fairfield) walked with no one out. Justin Rouse (Bellarmine) bunted Arndt and Ferreiro over to second and third. Cobb then lofted a sac fly to right field to score Ardnt to make it 6-5. The Dragons then took advantage of a Saugerties passed ball that scored pinch runner Nick Kondo (UAlbany) to even the game at 6-6 to force extra innings.
In the 10th Saugerties exploded for four runs to take the 10-6 lead. Comer led off with a walk and scored on a two-out RBI single by Dempsey. Noah Searcy (Georgia Southern) then blasted a three-run homer off of Glens Falls relieve Heriberto Cassasola (Rhinehardt) to give the Stallions some breathing room.
Dillon Good (Lock Haven) then shut down the Dragons in the bottom half of the frame to put Saugerties in the win column for the first time.
Good earned the win, while Cassasola suffered the loss.
The Saugerties Stallions return to the diamond tonight at 7:05PM against the Amsterdam Mohawks.