HUDSON – It's been a long time coming, but FM's northern baseball season finally got underway on Thursday at Columbia-Greene CC. The Raiders were ready and eager. They won both ends of the doubleheader by scores of 12-0 and 11-3.
The Raiders' victory in Game One was a solid team effort, but pitcher Dennis Buckley was the star of the game. Sophomore Buckley was masterful on the mound and productive at the plate. He struck out 11 Twins in the game, which was shortened to five innings by the run rule.
Photo: Dennis Buckley drives an RBI single into left field
Buckley worked quickly and threw a lot of strikes. He struck out the Twins' first batter with a high, hard one. Buckley walked the next Twin, but K'd the following two. He mixed his pitches well, showing both heat and well-placed breaking balls. The second Twin to bat in the second inning singled, but Buckley quickly picked him off with a nifty throw to FM first baseman Joe Nellis.
FM got the game started with a run in the first inning. Then the Raider bats sent five runs across the plate in the third. Gregory Ruddy opened the frame with a walk. He soon scored on catcher Andrew Houser's double down the left field line. Pitcher Buckley singled home Houser. Nellis singled to right. James Waters brought Nellis home with an impressive triple.
Photo: Dennis Buckley – the scoreboard tells the story
The Raiders added three more runs in the fourth inning. Ruddy stroked a nice single to right. He advanced to second on a wild pitch, then scored on Houser's double to deep center field.
Photo: Greg Ruddy safe at second
Photo: Andrew Houser launches a double to deep center field
Joe Nellis then powered a long, two-run shot over the right field fence. (See photo at the bottom of this page.) Houser scored, and the team greeted Nellis at the plate.
In all, FM scored 12 runs while blanking the Twins. The Blue & White hit safely 11 times and committed only one error.
Freshman Anthony Visco started Game Two and impressed with a five-hit, complete game win. Fellow freshman Matt Hecht was Visco's battery mate for six innings. Kevin Chrisman took over the catching duties in the seventh.
James Waters had another big game at the plate, going three for four with a double. Jason Roth had two hits in four at bats, and he drove in two runs. Hecht hit safely twice in four trips. His pair of hits brought in three runs.
Game Two saw FM score 12 times. The Twins tallied three runs.
Schedule Changes
There have already been several schedule changes due to the lingering winter and field readiness. The Thursday games were to have been played at FM, but the Twins' ballyard was in better condition. Columbia-Greene is now scheduled to play at FM on Tuesday, May 6.
Also, the Raiders were to have traveled to Utica for games with Mohawk Valley CC on Saturday, but that doubleheader is now set for Saturday, April 19.
There are likely to be more changes in the baseball and softball schedules. This website will post those changes as soon as they are known.
Game One
FMCC 105 33 12-11-1
CGCC 000 00 0-3-2
Buckley and Houser; Ernst, Mead (5), Winters (5) and Cardinale
Game Two
FMCC 521 004 0 11-10-1
CGCC 200 001 0 3-5-11
Visco and Hecht, Chrisman (7); Overbaugh, Mazzuchelli (6), Stanczuk (7) and Bruckman
Photo: Joe Nellis gets full extension and sends the ball (upper right of photo) out of the park
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