GUILDERLAND — How do you warm up your fans on a cold blustery day" You win a game in your final at-bat.

The Guilderland baseball team fought through temperatures in the low 40s and against a pesky Ballston Spa team to win its Suburban Council opener.

But the game wasn’t decided until Nick Polsinelli’s suicide squeeze bunt in the bottom of the seventh inning allowed Joe Lima to score from third base to give the Dutchmen an 8-7 victory.
"Nick can handle the bat," said Guilderland Coach Doug LaValley after the game. "I have a lot of faith in him. When he is between the lines, he is a battler. He was a good man for the job. He was the right man in the right spot."

Guilderland trailed, 7-6, going into the bottom half of the seventh inning.

Pat Gareau, who was pinch hitting for Greg Barcomb, led off the frame with a walk. A bunt single by Lima put runners on first and second with no outs.

Ballston Spa changed pitchers and went with ace Zak Hartman, who will pitch at Siena College next spring. After striking out Jimmy Sabbag, Hartman got wild and threw a pitch off the plate that got by catcher Kyle Baldani and allowed the runners to advance a base.

Nick Ranalli then walked to load the bases, and Hartman’s wildness continued as another pitch got away from the catcher and went to the backstop. Gareau scored to tie the game and the other runners advanced a base.

An intentional walk to Mike Goldstein loaded the bases again, which brought up Polsinelli and led to his heroics.

Polsinelli, who fouled off a bunt attempt in the at-bat, laid down a perfect bunt in front of the plate with Lima barreling down the third-base line. Ballston Spa didn’t even attempt a play at the plate as Lima slid in safely.
"They battled," LaValley said. "They didn’t throw their number-one [pitcher] at us."

One bad inning

Guilderland fell behind because of one bad inning. The Dutchmen gave up five runs in the fourth inning to fall behind, 7-6.

The Scotties got four hits in the inning off Polsinelli, who started the game. But an error by third baseman Jake Colavito on a throw to first kept the inning alive.

Colavito cleanly fielded the grounder and had a runner on third caught between the base and home plate. But Colavito threw to first; the throw was wide and one run was scored.

Baldani’s three-run home run over the left field fence, later in the inning, gave Ballston Spa the lead, 7-6.
"If we make a play then, we probably get out of there," LaValley said. "It extended the inning a little bit."
"Leclair pitched great"

Ballston Spa scored two runs in the top of the first inning to take the early lead. Baldani and Josh Flynt scored in the frame — Baldani on a throwing error by Goldstein and Flynt on a sacrifice fly.

Guilderland answered with one run in the bottom of the first inning. Goldstein led off the inning with a walk and later scored on a single by Colavito.

The Dutchmen added five runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 6-2 lead.

Lima led off the frame with a double and scored on a RBI single by Sabbag.

Nick Ranalli reached first base on a fielder’s choice that forced out Sabbag. Goldstein singled and both runners advanced on a throwing error by Baldani.

Polsinelli struck out for the second out of the inning, but Henderson walked to load the bases. Colavito cleared the bases with a double against the centerfield fence.

After Ballston Spa’s five-run inning, the Dutch shut out the Scotties for the next three innings, led mostly by the pitching of Kyle Leclair.

The lefty kept the Scotties off balance and gave up just one hit. He did walk four hitters, but also had a pair of strikeouts.
"Klye Leclair pitched great," LaValley said. "He gets the win."

It was the second varsity win for the junior, who got a win over LaSalle as a late-season call-up last spring.

Polsinelli pitched four innings and did a good job despite the cold weather.
"He had a tough day," LaValley said. "But he gave it everything he’s got. I can’t complain. We’ll get a lot of innings out of him. He’s got the stuff to get it done."

Polsinelli got the win in the Dutch’s first game of the season, a 13-4 win over Troy last week.

Sabbag and Ranalli had triples for the Dutch and Ranalli finished the contest with four RBIs. Henderson and Colavito had doubles for the Dutch.

The Dutch had almost a week between games because of postponements and the rust showed a little on Monday.
"It was six days," LaValley said. "It’s hard to get in a roll. It’s like starting all over again. We just want to get into a groove. But it was exciting, wasn’t it""

LaValley hopes that his team has an easier time in the upcoming games. The Dutch played Mohonasen on Wednesday. Guilderland then plays Colonie today [Thursday] at home and then hosts Christian Brothers Academy on Saturday.