There will be no bad memories of the regional semifinals for the Saratoga Central Catholic baseball team this season.
The same probably couldn’t be said for Section X champion Potsdam.
The Sandstoners committed seven errors, which helped the Saints pull away to a 9-3 victory in Monday’s Class B regional semi-final at Clarkson University.
Billy McDonough drove in the go-ahead run with a fifth-inning RBI single. A dropped fly ball allowed two more runs to come home, and Saratoga Catholic (24-4) cruised from there.
Matt Angelini had a pair of hits, and reliever Christian Garcia picked up the win by shutting down Potsdam over the final three innings.
Saratoga Catholic advanced to Wednesday’s reginoal final against Section VII champion Beekmantown at Queensbury High School.
The Saints advanced to the regional level by handling Western Athletic Conference North Division rival Fonda-Fultonville 9-2 in last Friday’s Section II, Class B final at Joe Bruno Stadium in Troy.
Saratoga Catholic scored three runs in the top of the first inning and three more runs in the top of the third to give coach Phonsey Lambert his third Sectional title.
This is very special for these guys, said Lambert. `We had to go through the toughest bracket to get here. We had to face (three teams with a combined) 65 wins. We beat the No. 2 team in the state in Chatham (in the semifinals), and then we came back and beat a tough Fonda team.`
Saratoga Catholic’s offense gave starting pitcher Dylan Anderson all the run support he needed in the top of the first inning. A two-run single from Garcia highlighted a three-run rally that gave Anderson a cushion to work with.
`Getting the run support helps a lot,` said Anderson, who pitched a complete-game six-hitter.
More runs came in the top of the third inning. McDonough belted a two-run double and scored on an error to give the Saints a 6-0 lead.
`We just seemed like we caught fire at the plate,` said Lambert. `I knew we had our pitching and our defense, but our hitting has really come along the last few games.`
Fonda got two runs back in the bottom of the fourth inning before Saratoga Catholic put things out of reach with a two-run fifth inning. Danny O’Rourke laced an RBI single and came home on Tucker Carlson’s double to make the score 8-2.
The Saints put the finishing touches on the game with a run in the top of the sixth inning when McDonough’s sacrifice fly plated Dale Long, who reached base all five times he went to the plate.
Saratoga Catholic finished the game with 14 hits. Jack Keller led the way with four hits, while Long contributed three hits. Angelini added a pair of hits to the attack.
Anderson, a sophomore, worked out of trouble in the sixth and seventh innings to finish what he had started.
`They had some hits, but they never really strung any hits together,` said Anderson.
`As I’ve said all along, the kid’s got guts,` said Lambert.
It was Saratoga Catholic’s second Sectional title in the last three years and perhaps Lambert’s most emotional one.
`The last time we were in this (in 2007), when we went to the regional, my mom had died on that day,` said Lambert, who needed a minute to compose himself after accepting the cham-pionship trophy. `That was a rough day.
`I’m just thankful that my guys put me in a position to get back to this game. I didn’t pick up a bat, and I didn’t pitch a ball. They did all the work,` he added.
Anderson, who was in eighth grade the last time Saratoga Catholic won Sectionals, said he’s hopeful that this won’t be his last trip to regionals.
`It just means a lot to me,` said Anderson, one of several under-classmen on this year’s roster. `I just hope we can do this the next two years.“