TROY — For the South Troy Dodgers Saturday was decision day, win and move on, or lose and kiss their season behind.
Jerry Burke got the start for the Dodgers, delivering 4 strong innings before the Long Island Titans put up 2 critical runs in the 5th.
Entering the seventh, the Dodgers were down 3-0, with only 3 outs to make up the difference. It would be then, when so many teams start to fall apart, that the Dodgers would pick up the pieces and with quite a bit of luck keep their season going.
“Obviously being my last year here, you can’t help but think this might be the end. Our offense has been slow,” South Troy catcher Anthony Butler said after the game in regards to his team’s predicament heading into the seventh..
With bases loaded and 1 man already down, Jimmy Griffin stepped up to the plate and hit what should have been a routine double play. Getting the out at second, the Titans overthrew the ball to 1st, which would have ended the Dodgers season. The mishap would allow the Dodgers to put two runs on the board, making it just a one run game, but the Dodgers were down to their final out.
With a man on first Cam Collett stepped up to the plate and came up big for South Troy, tripling – and more importantly tying things at 3. Then on yet another mishap, luck would have its way for the Dodgers as the Titans’ right fielder tried to throw Collett out at third. The ball would tip off the third baseman’s glove and in a Hail Mary happening, end up going over the fence. As a result of the one base rule allowed on an overthrow in that situation, Collett would come home to score, winning the game and keeping his team’s season alive.
The Dodgers will now have to win two more games tomorrow to advance to the championships in New Mexico. In order to do that they’ll have to get past the tough and undefeated (in regionals) Connecticut Bombers.
The action kicks off tomorrow morning at 10:00AM at South Troy’s home field. If the Dodgers win game one, game two will be played immediately after the first. If the Dodgers lose, their season will be over.
“We need to win the first game so we have the momentum and put them on their heels, but we need to take it one inning at a time,” Butler said. “We want to get to New Mexico just as bad as they do, it will be a good game/s”
