Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Uncle Sam Tournament History




Uncle Sam Tournament History 2000-2007


Year

Winner

Runner-up

2000

Lansingburgh 9

Catholic Central 6

2001

Lansingburgh 17

Hoosick Falls 2

2002

Lansingburgh 3

Troy 1

2003

Lansingburgh 9

Troy 0

2004

Catholic Central 4

Troy 2

2005

Troy 4

Lansingburgh 3

2006

Troy 15

Lansingburgh 0

2007

Troy 6

Catholic Central 2


Only two days left to vote in our poll, which one can find above right. Lansingburgh is well ahead at this point, and at 10-0 overall, I can see why. However, Troy has appeared in the final game six straight years and it looks like their bats are beginning to come around.
Look for a story on Lansingburgh's strong team defense in Wednesday's Record and feel free to leave any comments on the Uncle Sam tourney here.

Lansingburgh plays Catholic Central in the opening round and Troy takes on Tamarac. This Saturday, the first round starts at 4:45 pm at Knickerbacker Park in Lansingburgh. Consolation and championship games are set to follow at 7:15 pm.
Courtney Brinkman led the Flying Horses to three straight Uncle Sam Tournament championships, but now pitches at Siena College. (Tom Killups - The Record)



Don't count out Tamarac and Catholic Central, though. The Crusaders (Nikki Hedrick) and the Bengals (Meg Fitzgerald) have great pitchers and if they come in throwing hard and the bats can put a few across the plate, either of these teams can wind up in the final and even walk away with the title.


-- Will Montgomery

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Monday, April 28, 2008

Baseball and Softball Rankings, 4/29

Now that we're well into the regular season for most of our area teams, it's time for our weekly power polls.

Who do you think should make the cut? Why?

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Softball
Large Schools
1. Colonie (No. 1 AA, 4-0, 12-0) - Along with Lansingburgh, the Garnet Raiders are the only remaining undefeated large-schools team around. Catcher Julie Maio has had a number of clutch hits and Toni Fusco has been just one of the arms keeping Colonie in the win column.
Circle Monday May 5th on your calendar - Shen travels to Colonie for a big-time Suburban showdown.

2. Lansingburgh (No. 13 A, 8-0, 10-0) - The Lady Knights have been awfully impressive so far in all aspects of the game. Erin Glikes has shut down perennial Colonial Council powers like Mechanicville and Cohoes and hitters like Meg Mulholland and Molly McDonough have powered the offense. The 'Burgh will get a test from Catholic Central in the opening round of the Uncle Sam Tournament on Saturday and could likely face a hard-hitting Troy team in the final.

3. Shenendehowa (No. 4 AA, 4-0, 8-1) - Shen fell in a non-league game over the weekend, but they look just as strong as ever even after graduating a number of seniors. Amanda Ferro's done great in her transition to pitcher. The Colonie game will be telling.

4. Columbia (3-1, 7-1) - I saw the Blue Devils only once this year, but it was a fairly telling game. Dana Rizzo no-hit a powerful Shaker team on the road as Columbia rolled to a 5-0 league victory. Rizzo is one of the big bats in that lineup, and as the team's only senior, the Devils have a bright future ahead.

5. Catholic Central (2-0, 4-1)/Troy (2-1, 4-6) - I will have to lump these two teams together for now, until I see Catholic Central in action this weekend. Troy, like Shenendehowa, lost a number of seniors from last year's team, but the brand new battery of Liz Belleville (pitcher) and Emily Jones (catcher) are staring to get familiar with each other. Emily's cousin, Shannon, is a power-hitting centerfielder who led the state in home runs last year as a sophomore.

Honorable mention:
Saratoga, Guilderland, Niskayuna.

Small Schools
1 . Hoosic Valley (No. 3 B, 5-0, 6-0) - Jen Mineau's been practically unhittable all year long, which comes as no surprise to those in Schaghticoke. The Indians have two small concerns. 1) Can their offense keep it up or will Hoosic Valley continue to be no-hit and still find a way to win? In a game a few weeks ago, Hoosick Falls' Rachel Quackenbush (an eighth-grader) no-hit HV, but the Panthers still lost. 2) Can Hoosic Valley weather the bump up to class B for this year's sectionals?

2. Cohoes (No. 6 B, 4-2, 4-3) - The Tigers have had their struggles in the Colonial Council this year and the schedule doesn't get any easier. Mechanicville makes the trip down Route 4 on Wednesday for their second meeting this year. The Tigers held on for an epic victory the first time through and they'll need to win again to keep within shouting distance of Lansingburgh in the Colonial.

3. Mechanicville (No. 18 C, 4-4, 5-5) - It's been a bit of a down year for the Red Raiders, but I get the feeling sophomore pitcher Shannon McBride is just starting to warm up. Wednesday's game in Cohoes will be quite an important barometer for Mechanicville.

4. Granville (4-1, 4-1) - All the coaches and parents I spoke with before the season liked Granville and they've been right so far. Chelsea Lyons has done some damage with the bat and Ciara Groesbeck has been solid in the circle for the Golden Horde. Hoosic Valley makes the long trip up to Granville on May 19th. Upset potential?

5. Loudonville Christian (6-1, 6-1) - They've been bashing their way through the CHVL so far. See the post below for a little more on their 20-1 victory over Heatly.

Honorable mention: Holy Names, Schuylerville, Chatham, Waterford.
-- Will Montgomery

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Baseball
Large Schools
1. La Salle(6-0, 8-0)-The Cadets are unbeaten and look well on their way to a fifth straight Big 10 Title. They easily handled a talented CBA team with a 13-5 victory and beat both Colonie and Guilderland this past weekend at the La Salle Wood Bat Tournament at Geer Field. The Cadet line up is loaded with Kyle Charron, Brian Beaury, Lukas Bridenbeck and Amar Lewis to name a few of the La Salle sluggers. Pitcher Dave Roseboom is only a sophomore but has dominated so far.
2. Columbia (3-1, 9-4)-The Suburban Council is so deep any the teams are going to take turns beating up on each other all year so really Guilderland, Colonie, Bethlehem, Shenendehowa could all be in this list. I’ll go with the Blue Devils now though after beating Guilderland two times in one week. Patrick Puentes hit a walk off grand slam for a 11-7 win on Thursday and Bob Peluso, Tyler Rose and Puentes all drove in three runs in a 18-10 win on Sunday.
3. Bethlehem (4-1, 7-3)-Like I said the Suburban is loaded but the Eagles look legit so far. They've beaten both Columbia (4-1) and Guilderland (11-8). Will DeRuve has been smacking the ball all over the park and will try to lead the Eagles to the top of the Suburban's Gold Division.
4. Guilderland (No.10 AA,3-2, 5-5)- The Dutchman have had a rough week losing three games in four days, two to Suburban rival Columbia. That said they without a doubt have the talent to rebound and make a long run in sectionals. Any time you have Jake Colavito, Steve Anderson and Andrew Simpson in your line up you have a shot to win a lot of games. The key will be getting solid pitching after No.1 starter C.J. Sohl. I have a feeling they'll recover from last week and be just fine.
5. Colonie (No. 16 AA,2-2, 10-3)/CBA (4-1, 5-2)-The Garnet Raiders and the Brothers will split the fifth position for now. Colonie is in the toughBlue Division with Shen, Shaker and Saratoga, every game will be a battle. Early season losses to Mohonasen and Guilderland meant a slow start for Colonie but they've since recovered before dropping a non-league game to La Salle in the wood bat tournament. The Brothers loss to La Salle looks bad but if you were at the game you'd see that CBA really shot itslef in the foot early. Walks and sloppy errors led to the Cadets nine run first. The Brothers are definilty a better team than they showed in that game and I expect them to be much improved the second time these two meet.

Honorable Mention
-Shenendehowa, Amsterdam, Shaker, Albany

Small Schools

1. Chatham (8-0, 10-1) The Panthers are the No.7 class B team in the state and are currently on top of the Patroon Conference. Just look at the kind of day Sean Kenny had the other day and you can see whay Chatham's so dangerous. He was 4-for-5 with four home runs and seven RBIs. And then of course ther'e Zach Kraham who's headed to UAlbany next year and is putting together a strong senior year.
2. Ichabod Crane (7-1, 1-04)-The Riders won the class A title last year and and are off to a good start at repeating that feat this year. Derrick Horn and Kevin Knack return after being selceted to the all-state teams last year.
3. Ravena (6-1, 8-2)-The Indians are on top in the competitive Colonial Council. Joe Boomhower has had a big year so far but the best may be yet to come when they take on Watervliet, Lansingburgh, Voorheesville and Cohoes later in the year.
4. Watervliet (6-2, 9-3)-The Cannoneers are more than just a one man show. Yes they have Caleb Gleason, who can dominate both on the mounbd and at the plate. He had a week where he went 11-for-11, hit two home runs and struck out 11 in a complete game win. The Cannoneers also have Tom Ebenhoch and Justin Legualt and getting contributions from the whole team will be needed to make a run at the Colonial crown.
5. Waterford (5-0, 7-0)/Maple Hill (5-3,7-3)-The Fordians are undefeated in the CHVL behind the play of junior left- hander Zach Gardner. The Wildcats have some pop in their line up. I saw Shultz and Papas go back to back earlier in the year against Rensselaer. Shultz is also tough on the mound but three early season losses mean there's not much room for error if Maple Hill wants to catch Chatham or Ichabod. They'll be dangerous come sectional time however.
--Ryan Kircher

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Friday, April 25, 2008

35 years of softball in Brunswick on Saturday

Just passing on this information we received about Brunswick softball tonight...


Tomorrow morning beginning at 10:00, Brunswick Girls Softball (route 2 Brunswick) will be celebrating it's 35th year in existence. We will be honoring the original founder of the league from 1973, Ida Blair. Brunwick Girls Softball has produced many talented athletes who have later gone on to play at the college ranks. Mrs Blair will be honored along with local town officials including Brunswick Town Supervisor Phil Herrington. Following opening ceremonies, all will enjoy an exhibition game of pre-college talent; including Troy's very own Shannon Jones, a kid's home run derby, games and lots of food and fun. Please feel free to stop by.

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Thursday, April 24, 2008

Wacky Day in League Play, 4/24

A real wacky day in leagues across the area this afternoon, but nothing was more weird than what happened in Loudonville today. Loudonville Christian trumped Heatly 20-1 in a Central Hudson Valley game - which was not unexpected, because league-leading Loudonville Christian is 6-1 on the year.

But the line on Heatly's pitcher was mind-boggling.
Five innings pitched. Eight hits. Four strikeouts. 20 runs, 18 earned. 20 walks.
20 walks!

Since I wasn't at the game, I'm not sure what happened, but one of the Hornets' position players or someone on the bench should have come in to relieve the starter. No doubt.
Leaving a pitcher in a game like that is no way to improve an athlete's confidence. Surely another player would have relished a rare opportunity to take the ball, even in a lopsided game.
You can't blame Loudonville for running up the score, but you can excuse them for (brace yourself) walking it up.
If anyone out there can explain the situation, please send us an email or leave a comment. It's just an unbelievable line and it seems like something isn't translating through the box score.

LOUDONVILLE CHRISTIAN 20, HEATLY 1

Healty (1-4, 1-4) 000 10 – 1 3 4

L'ville Christian (6-1, 6-1) 348 5 x – 20 8 1

Brown and Greene. Pettograsso and Valley.



In other news...
Two different Wasaren League hurlers struck out 17. Hoosic Valley's Jen Mineau fired another no-hitter, as the Indians beat Stillwater 7-0.

HOOSIC VALLEY 7, STILLWATER 0

Hoosic Valley (5-0, 6-0) 101 013 1 – 7 12 1

Stillwater (1-4, 1-5) 000 000 0 – 0 0 2

Mineau and Bonnier. Crowley and Petta.


Tamarac's Meg Fitzgerald also mowed down 17, but she also tripled three times as the Bengals beat Cambridge for their first Wasaren League victory of the season.

TAMARAC 7, CAMBRIDGE 1

Tamarac (1-3, 4-6) 121 000 3 – 7 17 3

Cambridge (0-5, 0-5) 000 000 1 – 1 4 2

Fitzgerald and Dunn. Furauro and Grimes.


Lansingburgh held on to improve to 10-0 on the season, but it wasn't easy. The Lady Knights threw out the potential winning run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh and Meg Volz tripled in the top of the eighth to cap a Colonial Council victory, 6-4.

LANSINGBURGH 6, VOORHEESVILLE 4 (8)

Lansingburgh (8-0, 10-0) 103 000 02 — 8

Voorheesville (2-4, 2-6) 001 000 30 — 6

Glikes and Volz; Hatch and Chiseri


Cohoes bounced back after Wednesday loss at Lansingburgh, beating Ravena 6-3.

COHOES 6, RAVENA 3

Ravena (2-3, 4-5) 000 003 0 – 3 2 3

Cohoes (4-2, 4-3) 213 000 x – 6 6 1

Sanderson and Shepard. Galuski and Deerstyne.


In the Suburban Council, Columbia kept rolling, knocking over Guilderland 7-1. Dana Rizzo, who no-hit Shaker on Tuesday, hit a double and drove in a run on Thursday afternoon.

COLUMBIA 7, GUILDERLAND 1

Guilderland (2-2, 7-2) 000 100 0 — 1 8 3

Columbia (3-1, 7-1) 124 000 x — 7 6 1

McCutcheon, Marcucci (4) and Heller; Servidone, Rizzo (5) and Dougherty


Shaker got back on the right track, beating Niskayuna 7-2 thanks to a three-hitter from Colleen Whalen. Ana Purritano and Kayla Koumjian both went one-for-two and drove in two runs apiece for Shaker.

SHAKER 7, NISKAYUNA 2

Niskayuna (2-2, 7-2) 000 101 0 – 2 3 2

Shaker (2-2, 3-3) 002 050 x – 7 7 4

Whalen and Koumjian. Annello, Gigilo and Gray.


Eighth-grader Rachel Quackenbush tallied 15 strikeouts for Hoosick Falls (2-6), but Amsterdam’s Megan Power doubled in the bottom of the eighth inning for a non-league 1-0 victory for the Rugged Rams.

AMSTERDAM 1, HOOSICK FALLS 0

Hoosick Falls (2-6) 000 000 00 – 0 3 2

Amsterdam 000 000 01 – 1 4 3

Quackenbush and Ciuk. Miller.


-- Will Montgomery

--On the baseball side, what a game at Columbia High on Thursday. The Blue Devils and Dutchmen squared of in an early season match up of Suburban Council powers and the game lived up to the hype and then some. Patrick Puentes had a day to remember hitting a two out game winning walk off grand slam to give his team a 11-7 win. Puentes also hit a solo shot in the first and finished with six RBIs.
Tough break for the Dutchmen, as pitcher Andrew Simpson had to leave the game in the seventh after injuring his arm.
Guilderland is the No.10 ranked AA team in the state but after the loss could drop down in the next poll.
I have a feeling we'll be hearing a lot more from these two teams later in the season.
The Suburban is loaded with quality teams this year and it should be a slug fest to the end.

In the Colonial Council, Ravena (6-1, 8-2) keeps their spot at the top of the standings with an impressive 9-4 win over a good Cohoes team. Joe Boomhower did it all for the Indians throwing a complete game on the mound and driving in three at the plate.
The race for the Colonial crown should stay tight throughout the year, with Watervliet, Lansingburgh and Cohoes gunning for Ravena.

Waterford upped their record to a perfect 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the CHVL after a 10-8 win over New Lebanon on Thursday. Kyle Brisson had a pair of doubles and Zach Gardner singled, doubled and drove in a run in the Fordians win.

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Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Boys Basketball All-State Selections; Spring Sports Notes

Several local players were named to the New York State Sportswriters Association 2007-08 All-State teams.
Cambridge's Shea Bromirski earned the highest honors, making the class C second team.
In class B, Hoosic Valley's Pat Lanoue made the fourth team and Bishop Maginn's Taran Buie was a third team selection in the AA classification.

Congratulations to all of those that earned all-state honors.

Class AA
Taran Buie, Bishop Maginn, 3rd team
Shimeek Johnson, Maginn, 5th
Malcolm Austin, CBA, 6th
Brett Marfurt, Guilderland, 7th
Jordan Stevens, Saratoga, 8th
Devin Grimes, 10th

CCHS' Devin Grimes goes to the hoop against Ballston Spa in the Troy Holiday Tournament final on December 30th. Grimes was the only player that plays in the city of Troy to be named to the 2007-08 all-NYS team. (Photo - Jeff Couch, The Record)

Class A
Zach O'Brien, Bishop Gibbons, 4th
Jamel Fields, Albany Academy, 5th
Gerard O'Shea, Averill Park, 7th
Shavar Fields, Academy, 9th
Brian Hamor, Gibbons, 10th

Class B

Pat Lanoue, Hoosic Valley, 4th
Pat O'Rourke, Spa Catholic, 6th
Devin Rigney, Ichabod Crane, 6th
Dan Schultz, Broadalbin-Perth, 7th
Kevin Hanson, Fonda-Fultonville, 8th

Class C

Shea Bromirski, Cambridge, 2nd
Jake Bowman, Schenectady Christian, 3rd
Evan Christner, Voorheesville, 3rd
Cameron Herrington, Cambridge, 6th
Alex Quigan, Warrensburg, 6th
Nate Miller, Lake George, 7th
Blake Rizzi, Corinth, 7th
Dylan Miller, Salem, 8th

Class D

Ryan van Nostrand, Northville, 3rd
Brett Clatworthy, Argyle, 4th
Pete Aiken, North Warren, 4th
Jeff Reynolds, Indian Lake, 5th

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La Salle shorstop Jared Henkel forces CBA's Josh Lewyckj at second and throws to first to complete the double play. (Tom Killips — The Record)
--
In softball action this afternoon, the Lansingburgh Lady Knights very convincingly put away Colonial Council rival Cohoes, 11-2. Erin Glikes pitched a gem of a two-hit, 10 strikeout win and the offense exploded for nine runs in the third and fourth innings, making the most of five Tigers errors in the field. We're nearly halfway through the regular season ('Burgh travels to Voorheesville on Thursday) and the Knights are 7-0 in the league and 9-0 overall.
They've looked impressive so far (I've seen them three times now) because they have dominant pitching, timely hitting and a solid defense.
I know sectionals are a long ways away, but a 'Burgh-South Glens Falls matchup would be a heck of a game.

Big game in the Suburban Council Thursday when Guilderland travels to Columbia. Both teams are tied at 2-1 at the top of the Gold Division.

--
Latest state rankings just hit my inbox and here is the list for week three. (This doesn't take into account Wednesday's games, so expext teams like 'Burgh and Mechanicville to move up next week. Mechanicville beat Holy Names 10-0 on Wednesday.)

Class AA
1. Colonie
4. Shenendehowa

Class A
2. South Glens Falls
13. Lansingburgh

Class B
3. Hoosic Valley
6. Cohoes

Class C
3. Duanesburg
4. Fort Plain
18. Mechanicville

--
We recieved an email regarding tryouts for the Electric City Bombers, a 14U softball team. If interested, contact Babe Palleschi at (518) 788-1325 or Walt Ward at (518)-265-5807.


-- Will Montgomery

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Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Softball news and notes, 4/22

For Hoosic Valley's Jen Mineau, some things never change. Although the game was abbreviated due to the mercy rule, Mineau pitched a perfect game against Cambridge - striking out all 15 batters she faced.

Although other teams (Greenwich and Schuylerville, both at 3-1) are nipping at the Indians' heels in the Wasaren, it looks like Hoosic Valley should cruise into the sectionals on Mineau's arm.

(You can read a neat feature on South Glens Falls' ace hurler Marissa Carpenter here).

In a potential Uncle Sam tourney preview, Catholic Central beat Troy in the Big 10 opener for both teams. Amanda Case belted two two-run home runs for the Crusaders and Nikki Hedrick fired a four-hitter.

Cohoes and Hoosic Valley present an interesting potential matchup in class B this year, but the Tigers get a test of their own when they take on undefeated Lansingburgh on Wednesday afternoon in Knickerbacker Park.
The Lady Knights impressively captured the Lansingburgh Invitational Tournament on Saturday, beating Averill Park in the championship game, 9-4.
Lansingburgh's Erin Glikes (pictured below) will toe the rubber against Cohoes' Courtney Galuski - two of the Colonial Council's, if not the area's, top pitchers. The Lady Knights knocked off perennial Colonial Council powerhouse Mechanicville on Monday and we will see if they can keep their win steak alive.

Lansingburgh's Erin Glikes delivers a pitch during the championship game of the Knights' Tournament against Averill Park on Saturday. (Mike McMahon — The Record)

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I watched Columbia's Dana Rizzo no-hit the Shaker Blue Bison today in an entertaining Suburban Council game. Shaker did put four runners on base (three walks and a fielder's choice) but Rizzo stranded them all. Rizzo also picked up two hits from the three-hole and Sam Chevalier and Hilary Faas each picked up two hits as well.
The Blue Devils looked pretty good defensively too - Faas made a number of strong throws from third base and second baseman Molly Higgins made a great over-the-shoulder catch in the seventh to preserve the no-hitter.
Columbia hosts Guilderland on Thursday in a crucial Gold Division game - both teams are 2-1 in the league.

--
Is there anything out there I'm missing out there in softball land? Drop us a line and make sure to vote in the poll too.

-- Will Montgomery

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Friday, April 18, 2008

La Salle tops Troy baseball 11-3, Troy softball splits pair at tournament

The Cadets used some timely hitting and a solid performance on the mound from three different pitchers to take round one of the Collar City rivalry 11-3 over Troy.
Catcher Lukas Bridenbeck led the way at the plate going 2-for-4 and driving in four runs. He broke the game open in the fourth with a three-RBI base clearing triple. Juniors Dwight Mathusa and Ryan Abbot made their first varsity appearances and threw a combined five innings of three-run ball. Brian Beaury looked sharp in the closer role after starting the game in centerfield. He recorded the final six outs by strikeout.
Despite the lopsided score the main difference in the game was the Cadets hit with runners on and the Flying Horses didn't. Troy failed to get a big two-out hit and stranded 10 runners over the seven innings.
Troy sophomore Annibal Maldonado hit an RBI triple way back in left-center field and made a diving catch in deep center field in the sixth to rob Bridenbeck of his third hit of the day.
The two teams go their separate ways in Big 10 play before meeting up again on May 9 at Geer Field.
La Salle's Lukas Bridenbeck beats the throw to Troy High catcher Mike Barna. (Tom Killups — The Record).

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The Troy High softball team split their two games at the Ichabod Crane Tournament on Friday. They beat the host team Riders 5-2 in the opening round game. Meg Beditz smacked three singles and Sam Rivet had a single and a double in the win.
In the championship game the Horses were stymied by Columbia's Dena Rizzo. Rizzo threw a 15 strikeout complete game shutout in a 7-1 victory in the championship game. Shannon Jones had Troy's three hits and scored their only run.

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Thursday, April 17, 2008

Flying Horses play the Joe Wednesday, fare better on Thursday


The Valleycats sent us this picture of the bobblehead giveways this season...but the Troy High baseball team got a jump on the season at the Joe on Wednesday.
The Flying Horses crushed Schenectady in the first game of a doubleheader, but fell to Saratoga 11-6 in the nightcap.
On Thursday, the softball team took the field against Holy Names in a non-league game and Troy's Shannon Jones excelled in all aspects of the game. She hit a two-run home run in the third inning and threw out Holy Names star Gaby Elsbree at the plate all the way from centerfield. Jones also made two smart plays on the bases as Troy held on for a 5-0 victory.
Liz Belleville, a freshman, pitched a shutout as Troy picked up its first win of the season.
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In other news, several section II high school softball teams earned mention in the latest New York State Sportswriters Association poll. In class AA: Colonie (6), Shenendehowa (7) and Shaker (17). Class A: South Glens Falls (2), Lansingburgh (18). Class B: Hoosic Valley (3), Cohoes (6). Class C: Mechanicville (2), Duanesburg (4), Fort Plain (5), Canajoharie (16). Class D: Hartford (7), Argyle (9).

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The Lady Knights host two tournaments at Knickerbacker park in coming weeks, here are the schedules.

Lansingburgh Invitational at Knickerbacker Park, Saturday, April 19

Hoosick Falls vs Lansingburgh, 11 am

Averill Park vs Rensselaer, 11 am

Consolation and Championship games, 1:15 pm


Uncle Sam Tournament at Knickerbacker Park, Saturday, May 3

CCHS vs Lansingburgh, 4:45 pm

Tamarac vs Troy, 4:45 pm

Consolation and Championship games, 7:15 pm

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Monday, April 14, 2008

Local roundup, April 14

Interesting (and windy) day on the diamond Monday.

Suburban Council action began for both baseball and softball - and it sure sounded like an upset special between Columbia and Bethlehem.
Amy Halverson hit the game-winning single as Bethlehem scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth, after the Eagles gave up a run in the top of the inning.
Jen Frangella was 4-for-4 for Bethlehem and Columbia's Sam Chevalier went 3-for-4 with a triple and a run batted in.
Columbia, on the arm of pitcher Dana Rizzo, is expected to be one of the top teams in the area.

In Averill Park, the Lady Warriors battled all afternoon but just could not cool Shaker's bats.
The Blue Bison knocked out 12 hits en route to an opening day victory.
Averill Park's sophomore hurler Lauren Haggerty pitched well, but coughed up two runs in a fifth inning Shaker rally.
Haggerty and relief pitcher Danielle LaRocque pitched into and out of trouble in the sixth.
Shaker loaded the bases on three singles, but LaRocque came in and put out the fire, getting Shaker slugger Ana Purritano to tap out into a force at the dish.

AP's Kelly Haggerty had both of the Warriors' hits and drew a walk in the fourth inning.

Shaker's Kelsey Ogden had three hits, and Meghan Matah, Jenna Waltersdorf and Kayla Koumjian each had two hits apiece.

The Lady Warriors did a great job getting out of trouble and that 5-1 final could have been much worse. Shaker stranded 11 runners on the afternoon.

--
Thanks to a great comment on the previous post from one of our readers. I'll post a condensed version below - a list of other players to look out for this season:

LARGE SCHOOLS:
P - Amanda Ferro -Shen
P - Jamie Cordell - Colonie
P - Jena Servidone - Columbia
P - Marissa Carpenter - So. Glens Falls
P - Krista Robarge - Saratoga
C - Casey Madden - Saratoga
C - Caitlyn Shultz - Queensbury
C - Kayla Koumjian - Shaker
1B - Anastasia Purritano - Shaker
SS - Samantha Cheveliar - Columbia
New Comers: Very Young
P - Erica Palleschi - Burnt Hills
P - Rachelle Annello - Niskayuna
C - Kirsten Grey - Niskayuna
SS - Emily Odonell - Niskayuna
SMALL SCHOOLS:
P - Shannon McBride - Mechanicville
SS - Stephanie Ladue - Cohoes
2B - Jennifer Ahearn - Cohoes
OF - Mary Kellogg - Cohoes
Electric City Bombers 18U
Megan Fitzgerald - Tamarac (Pitch)
Jena Servidone - Columbia (Pitch
Anastasia Purritano - Shaker (1B)
Jessica Dearstyne - Cohoes (C-2B)
Samantha Chevalier - Columbia (SS)
Kayla Lynch - Colonie (3B)
Lauren Napoli - Guilderland (CF)
Electric City Bombers 16U
Mikayla Wells - Schuylerville (Pitch)
Electric City Bombers 14U
P - Erica Palleschi - Burnt Hills
P - Rachelle Annello - Niskayuna
C - Kirsten Grey - Niskayuna
SS - Emily Odonell - Niskayuna
Other Electric City Bomber Players to Watch that have not been mentioned in the paper (yet)
Victoria Palleschi-Burnt Hills(3B)
Kayla Koumjian-Shaker (Catcher)
Morgan Sprague-Shen (Pitch)
Natalie Triano-Colonie (1B)
Lindsey Sickles-Scotia (2B)

Thanks for the tip - please keep them coming! (Koumjian and Purritano had good days at the plate this afternoon).

--
For the baseball fans out there, check out Ryan's season-opening power polls here, and his story on La Salle's upcoming season here.
Look for full writeups and pictures on Averill Park softball and La Salle's victory over Albany in Tuesday's Record.

--
Any info out there on this site all about sports at Troy High? There are some neat articles on there, including interviews with players and schedules of upcoming games.


-- Will Montgomery

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Friday, April 11, 2008

'Burgh baseball rallies, softball soars

Lansingburgh shortstop Joe Winston (23) chases Schalmont's Shane Musk in a rundown. (J.S. Carras)


The Lansingburgh Knights gave it a great effort Wednesday afternoon, but just could not cap a comeback rally over Colonial Council rival Schalmont.

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The Lady Knights played very well on Thursday, defeating Holy Names 4-1 in Colonial Council action. It wasn't easy though.
Holy Names left two runners on in both the fourth and sixth innings - Lansingburgh pitcher Erin Glikes was able to pitch the Knights out of two jams.
Glikes made a great defensive play in the fourth, looking back the runner to third before firing to first for the first out of the inning. Shortstop Sarah Cipperly made a great catch to end the inning and she also hit an inside-the-park home run in the first.
Lansingburgh catcher Meg Volz also made a great catch in foul territory in the top of the seventh.
Center fielder Kayla Coles was three-for-three, a triple, two singles and two runs scored. Carissa Russell (third base) was two-for-three with one run batted in.
Holy Names' Sarah Karpovich went two-for-three with two doubles. Catcher Gaby Elsbree was one-for-one, but also reached base on a walk and was hit by a pitch.

The Lady Knights should have their hands full in the Colonial Council this year. Cohoes, Mechanicville and Holy Names are all tough adversaries. But, as long as they play smart defense like they did on Thursday, I think they can hang with anyone.

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Here were my preseason softball dream teams that ran in the softball preview section last week.
There were some tough choices to make, so tell me, who else is due for a big year?

Large Schools

P Toni Fusco, Colonie

P Erin Glikes, Lansingburgh

P Nikki Heddrick, CCHS

P Dana Rizzo, Columbia

P Colleen Whalen, Shaker

C Amanda Perry, South Glens Falls

1B Olivia DeMarco, Catholic Central

2B Molly McDonough, Lansingburgh

3B Kayla Lynch, Colonie

SS Barb Shea, Shenendehowa

OF Shannon Jones, Troy

OF Leanne Merchant, Burnt Hills

OF Lauren Napoli, Guilderland

Small Schools

P Brianne Fahrenkopf, Rensselaer

P Megan Fitzgerald, Tamarac

P Courtney Galuski, Cohoes

P Jen Mineau, Hoosic Valley

P Mikayla Wells, Schuylerville

C Jessica Dearstyne, Cohoes

1B Bryanna Plummer, Schuylerville

2B Jess Pipino, Hoosic Valley

3B Meghan Welcome, Cohoes

SS Laura Burek, Rensselaer

OF Beth Deer, Holy Names

OF Lindsay McKeever, Mechanicville

OF Kat Kulzer, Tamarac


Small Schools

1. Hoosic Valley

2. Cohoes

3. Mechanicville

4. Tamarac

5. Schuylerville

6. Rensselaer

7. Spa Catholic

8. Waterford

9. Maple Hill

10. Holy Names

Large Schools

1. Colonie

2. Columbia

3. Troy

4. South Glens Falls

5. Catholic Central

6. Shaker

7. Shenendehowa

8. Lansingburgh

9. Schenectady

10. Burnt Hills

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Pretty nice setup at the City Rocks' AAU media night at SUNY on Thursday. Jim Janson of Scotia won the dunk contest, mainly because he was the only player that could actually dunk. (Being 6-11 helps a bit in that regard).
What players and teams should we be watching AAU-wise?

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As always, drop us a line or leave a comment if you have something to say. Any other softball and baseball teams we ought to be looking out for? Any track and field records being broken?

-- Will Montgomery

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Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Girls Basketball All-Area Teams 2007-08

Coach of the Year: Walter Dorman, Hoosic Valley
Player of the Year: Kayla Ryan, Hoosic Valley
First team:
Katie Duma, Averill Park
Courtney Galuski, Cohoes
Barb Shea, Shenendehowa
Paige Colfer, Watervliet
Kelly Murphy, Mechanicville
Second team:
Lindsey Keever, Mechanicville
Meg Olsen, Bethlehem
Jess Walton, Holy Names
Chanessa Blakemore, Watervliet
Stephanie Racz, Maple Hill
Third team:
Emily Bayly, Niskayuna
Andrea Butler, Cohoes
Carolyn Houston, Hoosic Valley
Sarah Timmons, Maple Hill
Alison McGrath, Catholic Central
Honorable mention:
Sheila Dixon (Schenectady), Jackie Sorenson (Waterford), Jessica Knuetter (Berlin), Chelcy Moore (Albany), Mariah Stewart (Bishop Maginn), Samantha Anderson (Hoosic Valley), Elizabeth Halayko (Niskayuna), Katie McGrath (Averill Park) Shenekwa Stewart (Albany), Kali Maloney (Cohoes), Carly Pine (Hoosick Falls), Molly McGrouty (Watervliet), Kelci Barton (Hoosic Valley) Libby Shultz (Emma Willard), Caitlin Culver (Hoosic Valley) Ariana Youngs (Lansingburgh), Alexis Osbourne (Bishop Maginn), Kate Howe (Heatly), Abbey Hanehan (Stillwater), Olivia DeMarco (Catholic Central), Rachel Beaulac (Troy), Carlee Chapko (Hoosic valley), Alex McCullough (Bethlehem), Gabi Regan (Columbia), Carey Turner (Shenendehowa), Colleen Dignum (Catholic Central), Akea Edmonds (Rensselaer), Taylor Race (Germantown), Amanda Cioffi (Albany Academy), Georgina Farrow (Burnt Hills), Jessica William (Hudson) Victoria Franke (Troy), Sarah Proper (Coxsackie-Athens), Shavonda Cousin (Hudson) Carissa Paff (Watervliet), Lindsey DePaolis (Berlin), Tina Lott (Columbia), Katie Roth (Maple Hill), Jilliane Benedetto (Tamarac), Casey Becerra (Voorheesville)

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Saturday, April 5, 2008

Boys Basketball All-Area Teams

Check out our 2007-2008 boys basketball All-Area teams in The Record on Sunday, April 6th.
(The short list is below)

Coach of the year: Joe Loudis, Mechanicville
Player of the year: Pat Lanoue, Hoosic Valley
First team:
Shimeek Johnson & Taran Buie, Bishop Maginn
Shea Bromirski, Cambridge
Brett Marfurt, Guilderland
DeAndre Kennedy-Ebron, CBA
Second team:
Devin Grimes & Jordan Gettings, Catholic Central
Malcolm Austin, CBA
Tashan Newsome, Colonie
Gerard O'Shea, Averill Park
Third team:
Terron Victoria, Bishop Maginn
Connor Gallo, Lansingburgh
Jordan Stevens, Saratoga
Jamel Fields, Albany Academy
Brian Hamor, Bishop Gibbons

Honorable mention:

Isaiah Duke (Albany), Shavar Fields (Albany Academy), Chris Pelcher (Albany Academy), Karl Brock (Berlin), Chris Zema (Berlin), Joe Kane (Bethlehem), Kevin Wendth (Bethlehem), Avery Mitchell (Bishop Gibbons), Zach O’Brien (Bishop Gibbons), Bunduka Kargbo (Bishop Maginn), Dave Fischer (Burnt Hills), Cameron Herrington (Cambridge), John Mantas (CBA), Nick Benoit (Cohoes), Herb Tedford (Colonie), Ryan Broast (Germantown), Drew Smith (Guilderland), Justin Blasi (Hoosic Valley), Kevin McMahon (Hoosick Falls), Lyle Hughes (Hudson), Devin Rigney (Ichabod Crane), Kevin Knack (Ichabod Crane), Matt Harte (Lansingburgh), Cullen Overholt (Loudonville Christian), Trent Tibbits (Maple Hill), Paul MacMillan (Mechanicville), Pat Marra (Mechanicville), Cameron Couball (Mohonasen), Shane McHugh (New Lebanon), Justin Wilkinson (Rensselaer), Pat O’Rourke (Spa Catholic), Jake Bowman (Schenectady Christian), Schuyler Thomas (Schuylerville), Evan Fort (Schuylerville), Ryan Sullivan (Shaker), Steve Hunt (Tamarac), Donovan Johnson (Troy), Evan Christner (Voorheesville), Kevin Terry (Waterford), Dan Bolt (Watervliet), Mike Cooney (Watervliet)

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In other basketball news, Burnt Hills head coach Bill Martin decided to retire after 10 years at the helm.
(I was a member of BH-BL's 1998 8th grade football team that Martin led to glory.)

Best of luck in retirement and congratulations on a wonderful career, coach Martin!


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Our baseball season preview and Girls All-Area teams are also coming up in the next few days.

-- Will Montgomery

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Friday, April 4, 2008

Mineau Just About Perfect In Season Opener

Also check out our full softball season preview in Saturday's Record.



William Montgomery

The Record

SCHAGHTICOKE – Usually, it only seems like Jen Mineau strikes out four batters an inning. But that’s exactly what the Hoosic Valley hurler did in the opening inning of Wasaren League play against Tamarac Thursday afternoon.

Tamarac’s Sam Loiselle struck out in the first inning, but reached base when the third strike sailed high of catcher Emilee Bonnier’s glove.

Mineau got the Bengals’ number three and four hitters swinging, striking out the side, plus one.

The Indians were themselves stymied by Tamarac’s Megan Fitzgerald, but finally got rolling offensively in the bottom of the seventh. Ninth-place hitter Cassandra Chapko drilled the game-winning hit straight up the middle, sealing a 1-0 victory for Hoosic Valley and a no-hitter for Mineau.

Mineau totaled 20 strikeouts, allowing only one baserunner – a strikeout victim.

“It’s good to get the jitters out,” grinned Mineau. “Everyone was really nervous, so it’s nice to have a hard, nerve-wracking game.”

“There is no secret with Jen,” said Tamarac (0-1, 0-1) coach Randy Foster. “She throws the ball hard and keeps the ball moving.”

As impressive as Mineau was, Tamarac’s Megan Fitzgerald rose to the occasion, not allowing a run through her first six innings of work.

“Megan was a good pitcher, but Jen threw 20 (strikeouts), so it’s tough to score too many runs on that,” laughed Hoosic Valley head coach Jim Seeley. “When you’ve got two good pitchers like that, you have to take advantage of mistakes when they happen.”

The Indians (1-0, 1-0) had runners on base in the first, third and sixth innings, but were unable to capitalize on any of those opportunities. Mineau came to the plate with two runners in scoring position with two outs in the third, but flied out to right to end the inning.

Tamarac’s Fitzgerald also got out of a jam in the sixth inning. Bonnier and Mineau then reached base on a fielder’s choice and an error, respectively, advancing to second and third with only one out recorded. Fitzgerald then struck out Carolyn Houston and got Sam Anderson to ground out to second to end the threat.

“We threatened a couple times, but we just needed that one extra base,” said Seeley.

Carlee Chapko reached first on an error to start the Indians’ game-winning rally. Rightfielder Eileen Farrell sacrificed Carlee Chapko to second, putting her in scoring position for Cassandra Chapko to drive in the winning run.

“I knew it was going to be that way, 1-0 or 2-1, unless someone made a lot of mistakes,” said Seeley.”

The Bengals knew they would have to play a perfect game against Mineau, who led the Indians to the class C state championship in 2007. Last season, Mineau was 24-0 with 426 strikeouts and five walks in 186 innings pitched.

“If we’re going to be a championship team, we can’t be making mistakes,” Foster said. “For us to win, we have to be mistake-free.”

Mineau struck out the side five times in seven innings, and she fielded a ground ball for another out in the fifth inning. As the game wore on, both pitchers seemed to improve their game, reaccustoming themselves to the pitcher’s circle after a long winter.

“I think I had to warm up a little,” Mineau grinned. “I had not pitched on that mound since last year. We had the grounds crew out here for two and a half hours today, thank God for them. They somehow repaired the field from the marsh it was yesterday.”

Seeley figures Tamarac to be among the Wasaren’s best this year, thanks to Fitzgerald’s arm.

“We’re just happy that we were ready enough to beat (Tamarac) the first time through,” he said. “I think we play the toughest two games our first two games, since we play at Schuylerville on Monday.”

While the late-inning dramatics were fun for the fans, Seeley thinks the Indians’ offense will begin to warm up as the season progresses.

“I was hoping it wouldn’t go any longer, because it’s anybody’s game at that point,” said Seeley. “Whoever pushes a run across in the sixth or seventh inning is usually the winner. We’re just fortunate that Jen pitched strong and we got the one key hit when we needed it - as the clock was expiring.”

HOOSIC VALLEY 1, TAMARAC 0

TAMARAC HOOSIC VALLEY

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Fitzgerald p 3 0 0 0 Polmateer 1b 3 0 1 0

Loiselle 3b 3 0 0 0 Pipino 2b 3 0 1 0

Kinner cf 3 0 0 0 Bonnier C 3 0 1 0

Vickerson ss 3 0 0 0 Mineau p 2 0 0 0

Kultzer rf 2 0 0 0 Houston ss 3 0 0 0

Squad DH 2 0 0 0 Anderson cf 3 0 0 0

Thomas 1b 2 0 0 0 Car. Chapko 3b3 1 0 0

Darby 2b 2 0 0 0 Farrell rf 2 0 0 0

Ryan lf 2 0 0 0 Cas. Chapko lf 3 0 1 1

Totals 22 0 0 0 Totals 25 1 4 1

Tamarac (0-1, 0-1) 000 000 0 – 0 0 3

Hoosic Valley (1-0, 1-0) 000 000 1 – 1 4 0

Tamarac IP H R ER BB SO

Fitzgerald, L (0-1) 6.1 4 1 0 1 6

Hoosic Valley

Mineau, W (1-0) 7 0 0 0 0 20

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