JOHNSTOWN – Schenectady County Community College and FM are in a battle for postseason playoff berths and good seedings. The Raiders and the Royals met for a doubleheader on Monday afternoon, with each team winning one game. FM took the first contest 4-1, and the visitors won the second game 7-0.
Fans and players were treated to sunshine and blue skies, but a harsh wind kept things chilly. Both teams handled the conditions well.
Photo: Andrew Houser delivers an RBI single in Game One
Game One
Kody Shaw was on the mound for the Royals and Christian Maldonado started for the Raiders. Both pitchers went the distance. Shaw limited FM to just four hits, while Maldonado scattered seven Royals' hits in earning the win.
Shaw had one shaky inning, the second, and the Raiders took full advantage of it. The first three FM batters walked. Gregory Ruddy and Andrew Houser then hit RBI singles, and FM had a 3-0 lead.
Photo: FM third baseman Kristjan Maksuti gets the out at first – shortstop Greg Ruddy backs him up, and Gregory Mosetti is in left field
Dennis Buckley was FM's designated hitter. He followed Houser's hit with a drive into the gap, but Schenectady center fielder Nico Church sprinted to his left, dived, and robbed Buckley with a great catch.
Shaw struck out two Raiders in the third inning. Maldonado fanned two Royals in the top of the fourth.
Schenectady scored in the fifth inning with a double to left and a single. They tried to score again with another single but FM right fielder Joseph Deso fielded the ball and gunned a perfect throw to third base where Maksuti made the tag.
Deso made another big play in the sixth. With one out and a runner on first, Deso made a catch, then fired to first base to double the runner off base.
Maldonado put the Royals down in order in the seventh with a strikeout and two harmless grounders. FM had sealed the 4-1 win.
Photo: Winning pitcher Christian Maldonado is greeted by his teammates
SCCC 000 010 0 1-7-2
FMCC 030 001 x 4-4-0
Shaw and Moore; Maldonado and Houser
Game Two
Head Coach Dave Hennessey sent lefthander Sam Flood to the mound for the Raiders. The Royals countered with lanky right-hander Justin Holmberg. Holmberg pitched a complete game and earned the win for SCCC.
Photo: Right fielder Joe Deso was solid all day and threw out two runners
The visitors got right to it and scored three runs on three hits in the first inning. Mosetti and Ruddy hit safely in their half of the inning, but FM could not score.
Holmberg got stronger as the game went along. He limited the Raiders to four hits – all singles. Raider DH Buckley absolutely crushed the ball in the second inning, but his laser shot was within reach of the Royals' third baseman who snared it for an out.
FM's James Holmes came on in relief. Holmes struck out the first two batters he faced and finished the final 5.2 innings.
Photo: James Holmes
SCCC won the game 7-0. FM still has the second-best record among the eight eastern NY teams vying for the four playoff spots. The Raiders' regional record is 9-7, but three teams – Hudson Valley, Schenectady, and Mohawk Valley – are all close behind FM with .500 records.
The Raiders are to play again on Tuesday afternoon, weather permitting. They were to have played Adirondack in Glens Falls, but the doubleheader has been moved to FM. The first pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.
SCCC 310 102 0 7-9-0
FMCC 000 000 0 0-4-4
Holmberg and Moore; Flood, Holmes (2) and Hecht
C.J. Bonny, website writer
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