By Jordan J. Michael

VOORHEESVILLE –– Berne-Knox-Westerlo and Voorheesville baseball squared off in an early season non-league game on Tuesday.

“It’s real fun when these two teams play because some of the players know each other,” said Blackbird Head Coach Kyle Turski. “They get really pumped up.”

Voorheesville won, 8 to 4, on its home field after pulling away with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The team added three more runs in the sixth.

“Emotion was a key issue in this game. We kept battling and put the ball in play,” Turski said. “We were loose in batting practice and the kids brought out some music. We were able to relax and play good baseball.”

“We had some good hits and solid pitching, but the defense wasn’t good,” said Bulldog Head Coach Jeff Teats, whose team was leading, 3 to 2, after four-and-a-half innings. “It’s early in the season and anything can happen. It wasn’t that serious of a game.”

Landon Church pitched a complete game for Voorheesville with two earned runs, four strikeouts, five hits, and four walks.

“Church is coming off knee surgery from last year,” said Turski. “He only pitched one game last year. For him to come back and pitch a complete game for us is amazing. He’s got some serious guts and courage.”

Paolo Audino, BKW’s starting pitcher, ripped a single in the top of the first that was bobbled, landing him on second base. Church got Josh Rebeor to pop up to second to end the mini-threat.

Elliot Stryker led the Blackbirds off with a single to center. Ryan Gatt tried to reach home from third after Nick Blow stole second, but was thrown out at the plate. There was no score after one inning.

Church walked Korey Mann and he eventually reached third base after Andy Cortese laid down a bunt. The Bulldogs scored the first run with a sacrifice fly by Andy Liddane.

Audino would get into some trouble in the second inning. He walked Church and over threw second base. Connolly sliced a hit down the third-base line past a diving Steve Yakel. Mike Snyder scored another run for Voorheesville after a Brandon Galgay error at shortstop. The Blackbirds had a 2-to-1 lead heading into the third inning.

BKW would take the lead in the top of the fifth inning. Liddane hit a single to center and eventually stole second. Brett Flansburg bunted Liddane to third and Brandon Galgay to second.

Ryan Duncan made a costly error for the Blackbirds and Liddane and Galgay scored, making it 3 to 2 for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs had a chance to get another run but Blow made a great throw from left field to get Audino out at home plate.

Yakel, working the mound for BKW, found himself with no outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth. Church had an infield single and the Bulldogs got Blow at third and threw home, but the umpire called Gatt safe at home, tying the game at 3.

“That was a weird call at home because the throw was on time,” said Teats. “It rattles the brain, but calls can’t be reversed.”

Joe Berschwinger scored another run for Voorheesville on a passed ball and Snyder drove in Rob Davies with a single to center field. It was 5 to 3 after five and the Blackbirds never looked back.

“There were some bang-bang plays in the fifth and we were on the right end of the calls,” said Turski. “Once we started getting a lot of runners on base, we put the game away.”