By Troy Juhn
The Utica Blue Sox scored 6 runs in the top of the 1st inning on Saturday against the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs, but only scored twice and struck out 10 times in the next 8 innings. Despite a comfortable win on Saturday, the Sox were not satisfied with their overall performance. So going into Monday evening’s matchup against a Boonville Lumberjacks team that allowed 20 runs to Saugerties in their last game, Utica knew it needed to take advantage of their opportunities, and they did just that in a 13-5 win over the Lumberjacks.
The bats however started off cold. The first three innings saw no runs come across with just one hit. Boonville Starter Bruno Cergol induced weak contact. Meanwhile, the Lumberjacks struck 1st in the bottom of the second after a Johnny Brucato throwing error on a double play attempt allowed Allen Hernandez to score. In the next inning, former Blue Sox Joseph Dimasse drove in a run on an infield single, but Utica was able to get the final out after a rundown between third and home.
The bats finally awoke for the Blue Sox with a Nick O’Connor game tying two run home run in the fourth. Utica then scored 4 more runs in the inning on two wild pitches and two hit by pitches, chasing Cergol out of the game for Quinn Oliver, who hit two batters with the bases loaded on back to back pitches. Boonville responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning from Hernandez and Jax Miller to cut the Blue Sox lead to 6-4.
In the top of the 6th however, the Blue Sox started to pull away. With two outs, Jaden Ohmer gets on base with a single, then steals two bases to advance to third. Utica starting first basemen Matthew Williams left the game after getting hit by a pitch in the helmet in the third, but his replacement, Trayce Hartman, blasted a two run homer to center field to make it 8-4. It was Hartman’s second HR this season, which now leads the entire PGCBL. Hartman now owns a 1.800 slugging percentage early on this season. But Utica wasn’t finished in the inning. O’Connor walked and stealed second, center fielder Mike Benedetto then drove him in with an RBI single. Catcher Brendan Buecker then drove him in with a single of his own to increase the lead to 10-4.
The Lumberjacks got a run back in the bottom of the 8th after a dropped third strike allowed the runner to hustle home, but Utica left no doubt in the top of the 9th with Johnny Brucato delivering a two run single and Kevin Denty scoring after an error on an Omar Carreras chopper to the shortstop. Lafayette product Cole Moore shut the door in the bottom half by striking out the side.
Overall for the game, the Blue Sox recorded 13 hits with 13 runs scored. Everybody but one player got on base and 4 players recorded multi-hit games. Left Fielder Kevin Denty led the way with 3 hits. Boonville scored 5 runs on 7 hits. Jax Miller led the way with 2.
The Blue Sox have an evening exhibition game against the All Stars Academy at 6:45 tonight. Then a quick turnaround back to PGCBL play against the Watertown Rapids at 10:30 AM on Kids Day out. Purchase tickets for every Blue Sox home game at uticabluesox.net.