By Jordan J. Michael

GUILDERLAND –– The Flying Dutchmen baseball team was looking for a boost of confidence on Wednesday. Scoring 17 runs was more than enough.

Guilderland beat an ailing Mohonasen team at home, 17-2, after losing its three previous Suburban Council games. The Dutch had losses to Colonie, Shenehdehowa, and Columbia during its losing streak.

“The past few games have been tough, losing two close ones and getting roughed up by Columbia,” said Head Coach Doug LaValley after Wednesday’s game. “Losing this game would have left us too far back. Scoring all these runs got us on the right track.”

The Dutchmen had five runs in the third inning and six runs in the fourth to put the game out of reach for the Warriors. Mohonasen scored its two runs in the first inning.

“We put the ball in play and got a little help from their shaky defense,” LaValley said. “We were prepared for their best pitcher, but he didn’t go. My team was ready for a win.”

Jimmy Quinn started the Guilderland offense with a single to left field. Pat Quinn, Jimmy’s older brother, took Dan Clark’s pitch over the center-field wall for a two-run home run, tying the game at two.

“My brother tipped me off and we got a good pitch to hit,” said Pat Quinn. “The ball seemed to carry forever. I think the wind helped.”

Mohonasen had both Ryan Semend and Brandon Logon reach base on consecutive bunts to start the second inning. The Warriors killed its own threat with bad base running; the runners got picked off at second and first.

The Dutchmen scored three runs in the second inning with two outs. Jimmy Quinn scored from third on a sky-high pop-up by Pat Quinn that couldn’t be handled by Robert Tedesco. The score was 3 to 2.

Steve Anderson reached base for Guilderland after being hit by a pitch and eventually scored off a Matt Zanotta double to center field. The Dutch had a 5-to-2 lead.

Pitcher Jeremy Affinito made quick work of the Warriors in the third inning and kept Mohonasen quiet for the four innings he pitched. Affinito had five strikeouts.

“The way I see it, we’re only as good as the next guy on the hill,” LaValley said. “Our pitching was great today and the defense was there for backup.”

Packing on the runs

Guilderland’s third inning started with Kyle LaValley getting hit on the shoulder. Sean Geisel doubled to center field, scoring LaValley and Matt Roth. Geisel scored on a single by Mike Drislane. The score was now 8 to 2.

Drislane scored on a double by Pat Quinn and Anderson reached second base on an error by Mohonasen’s Vinny Demaco at first base. The Dutch had a 10-to-2 lead after three innings.

Affinito struck out Semend and Logon, and Guilderland was back to its scoring ways in the fourth. LaValley singled to left field and Roth got hit by a pitch. LaValley scored on a sacrifice fly by Geisel and Roth was singled in by Drislane.

“I love this team because the chemistry is very healthy,” said Coach LaValley. “We were in a rut, but it looks like we’re back on the right track.”

Pat Quinn hit another double to continue the fourth inning and Anderson brought Quinn and Drislane in with a single, making it 14 to 2. Zanotta hit a deep double to left field and Vinny Tamburello scorched a hit past the first baseman. Guilderland had a 16-to-2 lead when the inning closed.

Luke Stark came in to pitch for the Dutchmen and struck out the side in the fifth inning. Drislane added the 17^th and final run for the team in the fifth off an Anderson single and the game was nothing but over.

Pat Quinn, Zanotta, and Anderson all had three runs batted in for Guilderland. The team moves to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the Suburban Council.

“Losing four games in a row would not be acceptable and we didn’t want to drop to 1-4 in the league,” Pat Quinn said. “We just needed to wake up and make contact with the ball. We need more fun games like this.”