The 14-and-under South Troy Dodgers' Sandy Koufax team needed to win just one game against Bethelehem without losing twice to clinch the Upper New York State Sandy Koufax title and earn a berth to the regional round. The Dodgers lost the first game, but won big in the second. Our Ryan Kircher was there to report on the game.

South Troy Dodgers catcher Ryan Henchey tags out Bethlehem Eagles' Connor Morelli at home plate in the Upper New York State Sandy Koufax Tournament championship series Sunday at Chapko-Lewis Stadium in Valley Falls. (Photos by Jeff Couch - The Record).

VALLEY FALLS -- The South Troy Dodgers 14-and-under squad, locked in a battle of attrition, simply wore out its opponent. The Dodgers dropped their first game 10-9 to the Bethlehem Eagles but bounced back in a major way to take the second game 14-2 at Chapko-Lewis Stadium.

With the victory South Troy earned the Upper New York State Sandy Koufax Tournament championship and a berth in the North Atlantic Regionals at Bought Field in Colonie on Thursday.

Playing two games on Sunday wasn’t the way the Dodgers drew it up but after the loss forced a second and deciding game the teams depth pulled them though.

The game one loss was the first of the tournament for the Dodgers but it had little carryover effect on the team.

"We spent the in-between time of the games in the dugout thinking about what we could’ve done better and what we needed to do in the next game," Dodgers center fielder Mike Mannix said.

"The first game we gave up nine runs and I don’t think we gave up that many the whole tournament," South Troy head coach Mike Brinkman said. "We scored nine and still lost the game. That’s a tough team (Bethlehem) over there. They hit the ball really well this morning and the score of the second game was not indicative of the kind of game it was. It was the 3-2 until the fifth inning but we hit the ball when we had to hit the ball and they kind of ran out of pitching and we jumped on that opportunity."

Greg Kelley was 4-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI’s in game one.

"Everybody just kept putting it in play," Kelley said of the Dodgers offensive attack. "The pitcher just kept put¬ting it right on the plate and we hit it."

Kelley lost to the Dodgers last year as a member of the Devilcats. This year he’s happy for the opportunity to advance to regionals.

"Last year I was preparing to play these guys," he said. "I’m very excited."

South Troy's Tom Carrigan slides in front of Bethlehem's Connor Morelli during Sunday's Upper New York State Sandy Koufax Tournament championship series Sunday at Chapko-Lewis Stadium in Valley Falls.

For the full story, check out Monday's edition of The Record.

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