One area baseball team wrapped up a title, while another is closing in on one.
Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk won its first Colonial Council crown since 1969 with a 10-2 victory over Cobleskill-Richmondville last Thursday at Cooperstown’s Doubleday Field, while Bethlehem maintained its hold on first place in the Suburban Council Gold Division with last Wednesday’s 8-2 victory over Shaker.
That’s obviously a special place for us to lock up our first title in 39 years the birthplace of baseball,` said R-C-S coach Bob Dorrance. `It was very special for me and for the kids.`
The Indians (14-2 league, 16-3 overall) pounded Cobleskill pitchers for 15 hits and scored at least one run in all but two of the seven innings. Keith Hoyt led the charge with a pair of doubles and a single, while Rob Nolan drove in three runs with a pair of singles. Joey Boomhower added a double, two singles and two RBI.
`We talked before the game about how the longer you keep a team in the game, the better the chance they can upset you,` said Dorrance. `We got off to a good start when Rob Nolan hit a two-run single in the top of the first inning and we kept chipping away with runs.`
R-C-S needed the win to assure itself of the Colonial Council title after second-place Schalmont trimmed the Indians’ lead to one game with a 10-7 victory last Monday.
`We were fortunate to get some close wins this season and to get good pitching and timely hitting,` said Dorrance.
R-C-S now waits to see where it will be seeded for the Section II, Class B playoffs. The Indians are in competition with Ichabod Crane and Chatham from the Patroon Conference for the top seed.
`That would be great if that happened,` said Dorrance of earning the No. 1 seed, `but it’s out of my control. We had a non-league win against Chatham earlier this season, but we also had a non-league loss against Hudson. So, we’ll have to wait and see.`
R-C-S will warm up for Sectionals with some non-league games. After playing Big 10 leader LaSalle Tuesday, the Indians meet Watervliet Wednesday.
`We’re going to try to pick up another game later this week,` said Dorrance.
While R-C-S is in line for a top-two seed, Bethlehem has to win its final two Suburban Council Gold Division games or have Guilderland lose once to lock up at least a No. 2 seed for the class AA Sectionals. The Eagles (9-3, 14-5) entered Tuesday’s game against Ballston Spa with 14 standings points, one point ahead of the Dutchmen. The two teams meet in Thursday’s regular season finale.
`Right now, I think my team is ready to go,` said Bethlehem coach Rob Helm. `We’re playing good baseball.`
The Eagles flexed their muscles Saturday with an 18-6 non-league win against Amsterdam. Bethlehem hit three home runs including a shot by Craig Wilcox, who finished a triple shy of the cycle.
`That’s really great because he hasn’t played a lot this season,` Helm said of Wilcox, who also hit a double and a single. `I root for guys like that.`
Will DeRuve and Matt Branigan also homered for Bethlehem, which possesses one of the top offenses in the Suburban Council with a team batting average of .350.
`When you have a team batting average of .350, you know you’re scoring some runs,` said Helm.“