Sports Archives — The Altamont Enterprise, April 28, 2011
Voorheesville gets a boost with a win over Lansingburgh
By Jordan J. Michael
GUILDERLAND –– The Voorheesville baseball team swung, stole, launched, and wedged its way to an important 8-to-5 win over Lansingburgh on Wednesday at Keenholts Park. It was the Blackbirds’ first win over the Knights in at least three years.
Each team had a few lengthy innings at Dutchmen Field, trading runs back and forth. Voorheesville would gain a respectable lead, only to watch as Lansingburgh crawled back into the game.
“We’ve been knocking on their door for a while and we finally broke through,” said Birds’ Head Coach Kyle Turski after the win. “It was a battle…a war, and we gutted it out.”
The Knights dug their own grave, down 6 to 4, in the fifth inning when Connor McConough and Chris Lance miscommunicated, in the outfield, on a sky-high pop up by Colin McVee. The ball dropped, letting senior Jake Nussbaum and Kevin Connolly score for the Blackbirds.
After the costly error, Lansingburgh’s head coach was heard yelling from the dugout, clearly perturbed. “Catch the ball,” he exclaimed. “How much baseball do you watch on TV?”
It was an all-around day for Voorheesville, which moved to 5-2 in the Colonial Council (7-3 overall). The team had 12 hits and six stolen bases, three of them coming from Nussbaum, who also had three singles and three runs scored.
“Singles get the job done, I guess,” said Nussbaum, who now bats ninth in the line-up, instead of second. “I’m reading pitchers real well and I get a lot of fastballs. I’d rather bat higher, but wherever Coach puts me, I’ll hit it.”
Senior Ryan Duncan had a single and a double; McVee had two singles and three RBI; and sophomore Nico Church had an RBI double for the Blackbirds. “We played our game,” Turski said.
Connolly pitched his third complete game of the season, striking out five batters and moving to 3-1 on the season. He ended the game in quick fashion, putting Lansingburgh down with only three pitches.
“I changed my mechanics a little,” Connolly said. “It felt good.”