AMSTERDAM - Back-to-back walks brought an end to the night and a long fourth inning for Amsterdam starting pitcher Dave Filak.
The second of those walks pushed across Watertown's fifth run. Before the inning was over, the Wizards had a 9-2 lead on their way to a 9-7 win.
"He struggled. It was a struggle," Amsterdam coach Keith Griffin said. "He couldn't throw an off-speed pitch - he had no command over his curveball or his changeup - and they really came out swinging the bat well. They did a nice job. They've still got to hit the pitch, and they did."
Chase Greene came in for Filak, who had thrown 28 pitches in the inning and 91 in his three-plus innings, and gave up a grand slam home run to the first batter he faced, Nate Shaver.
The Wizards got a solid start from Dennis Hill, who struck out eight and walked one batter in his five innings on the mound, giving up four runs, three of them earned.
"That's pretty much what he does every time," Watertown coach Brandon Potter said. "You can pretty much pencil him in for five to seven innings. He's a pretty good pitcher and he was a little off tonight, but still got through and pitched well."
Watertown got on the board first with two runs in the second inning, but Amsterdam answered in the home half with two of its own. After the Wizards' seven-spot in the fourth, however, the Mohawks had to work at gradually making up the deficit.
"We just said, 'Keep fighting offensively,'" Griffith said. "We felt like we could get back in the game if we could get in their bullpen, which we did. We struck out so many times with runners on."
The Mohawks struck out 16 times. Watertown's Matt Croglio pitched the final 2 1/3 innings and struck out six batters.
After Greene gave up the grand slam, he settled in and allowed no more hits in three innings of work. Elliott Byers pitched the next 2 1/3 scoreless innings before Brendan Chapin came on to finish the top of the ninth. Byers struck out seven and walked one.
Amsterdam chipped away at the Watertown lead, but had a potentially big eighth inning cut short by Watertown's Peter Bregartner at first base.
The Mohawks had runners on first and third with one out and Mel Rojas Jr. at the plate. Rojas Jr. hammered a Croglio pitch down the first-base line, but Bregartner snagged it on the hop, turned and fired to second to force out Justin Fredejas.
Matt Colantonio scored from third and Rojas Jr. was fast enough to avoid the double play, but the play helped Watertown limit the damage and hold onto a two-run lead.
"The play the first baseman made on Rojas was phenomenal," Griffin said. "That was a saving point of the game for them because Mel absolutely scorched the ball. Then to have that force out, to have the insight enough to get the guy at second and try to get the double play was just a great play by their guy."
Amsterdam (23-12) was led at the plate by Joe Sclafani, who went 3-for-4 with a walk and two runs. Tillman Pugh returned from a hamstring injury as a designated hitter, doubled twice, scored once and drove in two runs. Colantonio and Rojas Jr. both doubled, Rojas Jr. driving in two runs and scoring once. Colantonio scored twice.
Watertown (14-20) got home runs from Shaver and Ben Flanary - both in the fourth inning - Shaver's a grand slam and Flanary's a two-run shot early in the fourth. C.J. Lukaszewski finished with a 3-for-5 day, a run and an RBI.
The loss will slow the Mohawks in their pursuit of first-place Glens Falls with a handful of games remaining, but Amsterdam is already assured of a playoff spot. The Mohawks will return to action today at Albany at 7:05 p.m. They will host Watertown again Friday at 7:05 p.m.
Watertown is fighting for the fourth and final playoff spot from the Eastern Division. Entering play Wednesday, the Wizards trailed fourth-place Saratoga by a half game.
"They're vying for fourth place and I thought they came out wanting it a little bit more than we did," Griffin said. "If you get good starting pitching, that would have helped a lot, but we just didn't get a good starting pitching game tonight."
Watertown 9, Amsterdam 7
Watertown020 700 000 - 9 12 3
Amsterdam020 022 010 - 7 12 2
Hill, Schuldt (6), Croglio (7) and Lukaszewski; Filak, Greene (4), Byers (7), Chapin (9) and Colantonio.
