Jared Carrier

 Hudson Valley Region

Prep Baseball Report-NY was on scene for game two of the Kingston vs. Monroe-Woodbury series on Tuesday night. The two AA programs have a combined record of 9-1 entering the contest with the only loss being one that M-W handed Kingston the day before, by the score of 2-1.

The beauty of OCIAA division play is that of the three game series, a true test of each teams ability to make adjustments, pitching depth and the coaches pulling the right levers at the right time. The mound matchups featured two 2017 RHPs, Kingston's Tyler Kelder and M-W's AJ Rizzi. Both pitchers threw a scoreless 2 innings by keeping the fastball down and getting by on sharp breaking stuff. Kelder comes at hitters with a 3/4 slot with a fastball that sat 80-82 MPH early on. Appeared to be primarily a 2-seamer with some heavy sink to it. Curveball featured some 2-to-8 action with late break at 64-67 MPH. Rizzi gets by with a slight coil to his delivery working from a low 3/4 slot with some cross fire action, making it tough on right handed hitters. He sat 76-77 MPH with a sharp right to left breaking ball at 67-68 MPH range and flashed some change ups around 72 MPH.

With one out in the top of the third, 2018 catcher Tanner Davis hit a ground rule double to left center. Davis was on base all three times, including dropping down a beautiful bunt in the 6th inning. He would come around to score on 2019 Fritz Genther's triple to deep left. The shortstop demonstrates a smooth stroke and handles the pressure of leading off and playing up the middle as a freshman for a large school. A disputed tag at first on an errant throw allowed Genther to score the second run. The Crusaders quickly got one back in the bottom half. 2016 and College of St. Rose commit Jack Bermingham hit a single through the left side and would later come around on 2017 CF Johnny Bauer's well hit triple to right center. 

A leadoff walk and a Brandon Albertson double in the third chased Rizzi from the game. M-W would go with 2016 RHP Dan Sawoska who would get two outs and allow a walk to load the bases. Le Moyne College commit Justin Tuey would cash in with an RBI single to the opposite field and Kelder would provide some insurance for himself with a two-run single to left field to make it 5-1. Kelder continued to cruise and Sawoska would settle in, sitting at 78-79, touching 80 MPH with a wicked 2-to-8 curveball with late bite (64-65 MPH). He would end up striking out 4 in his 4 innings of relief work while allowing 3 hits.

M-W would scratch out two runs in the bottom of the sixth courtesy of  2016 2B/RHP Anthony Amaroso (New Paltz commit) 2-run double down the right field line. That knocked Kelder out of the game as the Tigers would go to 2017 RHP Cameron Ott who would give up  a bloop single before inducing a well turned 4-6-3 double play to end the threat. The Crusaders last shot in the 7th saw the tying runs in scoring position before Ott was able to get Drew Jemison to pop out to end it. Jemison, a legit power threat that we have seen at multiple events, had been thorn in the Kingston side with a big double yesterday and some well struck balls today.

Kingston improves to 4-1 and M-W drops to 6-1. Both teams are tied at 1-1 in Division play and Kingston will host game three of the set Thursday at Gruner Field in Lake Katrine, NY. Look for both squads to be in the mix come postseason time, not only this year but down the road as they both had lineups sprinkled with talented 2017, 2018 and 2019 grads.