Schenectady NY - With the temperatures near 90 with a summer feel, the 55-Americans were guests of the 55-Pirates at the pristine A- Diamond, on Tuesday nite. Missing key players due to injury and/or commitments had the Pirates line-up altered, as they looked to payback the Americans for a 17-9 trouncing in their last meeting. With a game day injury to schedule starter Eric Westfall, Jimmie Dalton picked up the spot start from a depleted bullpen. Pirates knew they'd be in a battle to score with Americans countering with Dan Durback toeing the slab. Both starters notched scoreless first innings and the promise of a pitchers duel was shaping up. Amerks got on the board in the 2nd when Durback singled, stole 2nd, and advanced to 3rd when Dalton spiked a 52' Uncle Charlie. Adam Zaffron then followed with an Rbi single for 1-0 lead. The Buccos answered back in the bottom of the frame, sending 8 men to the plate, and using singletons by E.J. Seney, Greg Allen, and rbi knocks from Harold Jenkins and Dom Carnibucci to grab a 2-1 advantage. Dalton settled in with 3 scoreless thanks to the outstanding play of the left side, with E.J. Seney doing a Graig Nettles World Series impersonation with several sparklers, and Ken Shaw in LF running down drives with Willie Mays-like catches to keep the Pirates on top. The Swashbucklers added a tally in 3rd when Paul Peters singled, swiped a bag, and came around on a Seney's 2nd hustling single of the nite for a ribby! It stayed 3-1 into the 6th, when Dalton worked himself with a 4-pitch lead-off walk (it always starts with a walk!). After a punchout, Dave Page laced a 2-bagger to plate Rick Sassone. A line shot surely headed for a tying rbi, was speared inches off the ground to get the 2nd out. Dalton was jammed up after a Pirates error, with 2-men on. The Pirates braintrust has initially thought about walking Mike Camoin and going after Fred Muller. The error made it a moot point, and Muller was ready. A long towering shot put Shaw on his horse into deep left that had at least a double written all over it, but incredibly Shaw raced and reached to snare the drive, and preserve a 1-run lead. As the bottom of the order had delivered all nite, it was a turning point in the bottom of the sixth as Bill Reagan led off with a single. The injured Jim Jasiewicz came on as a pinch runner, and took off for 2nd, safely snaring the sack, and then advanced to 3rd on a 1-3 put out. Ken Shaw the man with the glove then clutched up and rapped a base hit to get it to 4-2, a tally that would be critical. Amerks still had plenty of fight, as Mike LaBarge led off the top of the 7th with a clean single to center. A nice play by Jim Ansel at 2nd got the 1st out for the Bucs. Durback the reached on a fielders choice, putting runners at the corners. With two outs, Dave Plew's single cut the margin to 1 scoring Durback. White knuckle time with the tying run at 3rd, and the here we go again for the Pirates who got beat in similar fashion in a 62s game against the Cardinals. This time Dalton induced the 6-3 final out, for a Complete Game 6-hitter, and the 1st time the Pirates raised the Jolly Roger in the 55 Division after 2 losses!
Always a pleasure to meet up with Mike LaBarge's teams, and the rubber match of the 3-game series should be a good one!
R H E Americans 3 6 0 Pirates 4 15 2
WP - Dalton (1-1) LP - Durback
Pirates: 2 hits apiece for Carnibucci, Shaw, Peters, Seney and Allen. Americans: Durback 1-3, 2R, Zaffron 1-2, rbi and 2 sb
