As soon as Jeremy Furey’s ball left the infield, Dylan Anderson knew where he was going straight to home plate.
Anderson scored the game-winning run from second base on Furey’s seventh-inning single to lead Saratoga Central Catholic to a 7-6 victory over Section X champion Potsdam in Tuesday’s Class B regional final at Albany’s Bleecker Stadium.
I was thinking home all the way,` said Anderson.
`We’re very excited, and we’re fortunate to get out of this game with a win,` said Saratoga Catholic coach Phonsey Lambert.
The play didn’t come without a moment of drama, though. Potsdam’s catcher had the plats blocked, but the throw from left field got away from him as Anderson slid home.
`Once I heard the screams [from the stands], I just assumed that I had scored,` said Anderson.
`I knew it was going to be a close play … but I had all the confidence he could beat out that play,` said Furey.
The late-inning heroics would not have been necessary had Potsdam not rallied for four runs in the top of the sixth inning off reliever Chris Pescetti to tie the game at 6. The Sandstoners got four consecutive hits with two outs to rally from a 6-2 deficit.
`Sometimes, those things happen,` said Lam-bert. `But we lived to tell about it.`
The Saints (23-2) took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and extended it to 5-0 before the Sandstoners (13-5) rallied for two runs in the top of the fifth inning to give themselves new life.
Besides scoring the winning run, Anderson doubled and singled to help Saratoga Catholic advance to Saturday’s state tournament in Binghamton. It’s the first trip to states for the Saints since 2001.
`We’re going there to compete and win,` said Lambert. `We’re going to rest up a bit because we just got through two tough days [of regionals].`
Saratoga Catholic’s trip to states began with last Wednesday’s 12-7 victory over Granville in the Section II Class B final at Hudson Valley Community College.
That game didn’t start well for the top-seeded Saints. The Golden Horde scored four runs in the top of the first inning and added two more in the second to take a 6-2 lead.
Saratoga Catholic steadily chipped away at the deficit and took the lead with a four-run fourth inning. Brad Scammell tied the game with a two-run single and scored the go-ahead run on Anderson’s sacrifice fly.
Scammell had two hits and drove in four runs, while Billy McDonough contributed three doubles, a single and three RBI for the Saints, who won their third Sectional title in four years.
Saratoga Catholic beat Beekmantown (Section VII) 6-4 in Monday’s regional semifinal.“
