Huskies eke out another one-run victory

Malagisi knocks in game-winning run in seventh against Glens Falls

By JAMES A. ELLIS
GLOVERSVILLE — For the third time in three days, the Gloversville baseball team picked up a one-run victory.

Monday, the Huskies rallied to defeat Foothills Council rival Broadalbin-Perth 5-4 in eight innings. Tuesday night, they handed Scotia-Glenville its third league loss with a 4-3 victory.

Gloversville (10-5 overall, 8-4 Foothills) extended its Foothills Council win streak to four games, scoring the winning run with one out in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Glens Falls, 5-4.

With the game tied at four in the seventh inning and the top of the Huskies’ batting order up, leadoff hitter Matt Baldwin worked the count full before drawing a walk. Ryan McCloskey laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Baldwin to second.

Glens Falls coach Dave Casey elected to intentionally walk Kris Barone, who homered earlier in the game, and pitch to Tyler Malagisi, who hit into three groundouts. The senior first baseman wasted no time at the plate and delivered an RBI single up the middle to score Baldwin and give the Huskies the 5-4 victory.

“It was not a hard-hit ball, but he hit it where we couldn’t get it and then we didn’t make a good throw home,” Casey said. “We are young. There were three seniors on the field today. We are playing good enough to win, but just can’t get the right break to go our way and get the win. It is all about learning right now. But give them credit they got a couple of hits when they needed them. We did everything we were supposed to do but just didn’t make the play when we had to.”

Gloversville starting pitcher Ryan McCloskey found himself in a tight spot in the first inning as the Indians (6-12, 5-7) loaded the bases with no outs.

The senior right-hander struck out two of the next three batters he faced and enticed Sam Caruse to pop-up to shortstop to end the threat.

Barone put a run on the baseball scoreboard when he homered off the football scoreboard in left field with two outs to give Gloversville a 1-0 lead.

Glens Falls again put runners in scoring position in the top of the second. Steve O’Sick and Andrew Yole connected for back-to-back singles with two outs. McCloskey again got out of the tight spot when Matt Bohan popped the ball up on the infield and Malagisi settled under it for the final out.

After holding Gloversville scoreless in the second inning, the Indians pushed a pair of runs across the plate to take the lead in the top of the third.

Kyle Kelly led off the inning with a single to right that was bobbled by Baldwin allowing him to advance to second. Sam Caruse plated Kelly with an RBI single and would later score on Ryan Brown’s grounder to shortstop to give Glens Falls a 2-1 edge.

The Huskies tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. Joe LaPorta started the game-tying rally with a two-out single. Chris LeFever followed with a single and Gabe Wells brought LaPorta home with his second hit of the game, an RBI single up the middle.

The Indians retook the lead in the top of the fifth when Kelly drew a lead off walk and stole second. Caruse singled to put runners on first and third. Nick Round picked up the RBI with a hard grounder to the left side for a 3-2 lead.

The Huskies came back again to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth.

Baldwin doubled to right field and McCloskey bunted him over to third. Baldwin alertly broke for the plate and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at three.

“Right away you know the intensity of your team by the way they are swinging the bat,” Gloversville coach Jim Robare said. “Today, we had to go station to station. Both teams were playing defense well so you had to move runners and both teams were trying to do that. That is the name of the game.”

Chad McCloskey came on in relief of his brother in the top of the fifth and hit the first batter he faced. O’Sick laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Andy Burgess to second. He would later score on Bohan’s RBI single to put the Indians up 4-3.

The Glens Falls lead again was short-lived as LaPorta led off the bottom of the fifth for the Huskies with a double.

Caruse attempted to pick LaPorta off base, but his throw sailed into center field and Yole could not get a handle on the ball as LaPorta raced home with the tying run.

McCloskey settled in to hold the Indians hitless and scoreless in the top of the seventh, setting the table for Malagisi’s game-winning hit.

“I didn’t have a great day today, but I told the guys before I went out that we always get the timely hit and I was glad I was able come through for the team,” Malagisi said.

Wells finished the game with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate with an RBI and made a spectacular diving catch in the outfield in the fifth inning. LaPorta contributed a double and a single to the Gloversville attack, while Barone added a home run. Baldwin had a double and two runs scored, while Malagisi and LeFever both singled.

“We have had three solid games. Timely hitting is what it is about and we are getting the hits and the other teams are not,” Robare said. “I have got to give our pitchers credit. They are coming in and throwing strikes and are being consistent. The fielders are on their toes now instead of watching ball four. It makes for a fun game and a quick game.”

The Huskies will take to their home diamond again Friday night when they host league-leading and state-ranked South Glens Falls. The Bulldogs were handed their first league loss of the season Wednesday night by Scotia-Glenville, 7-6.



Gloversville 5, Glens Falls 4

Glens Falls 000 201 1 — 4 8 2

Gloversville 100 111 1 — 5 9 1

Caruse and Shipley; R. McCloskey, C. McCloskey (6) and R. Murray