By Troy Juhn
The 2024 PGCBL season is winding down, with the upcoming week being the last week of regular season games. The Utica Blue Sox currently stand 4th in the East division, a game back of the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs in third and a half game ahead of the Watertown Rapids in 5th. The Blue Sox had to deal with three straight postponements before playing a game this week. Utica split its 4 games with 2 wins and 2 losses.
The Blue Sox’s first game in 5 days went well, taking down the Boonville Lumberjacks 10-4 on the road. Kevin Denty launched his third home run of the season and Matthew Williams drove in three runs. Starting pitcher Nick Murphy continued the trend of good starting pitching for the Sox, tossing six shutout innings to get his first PGCBL win. The Sox collected 13 hits on the night.
It set up a massive game on friday night as the Sox took on the Diamond Dawgs in a crucial game for the standings, with Utica only a half game back heading into this matchup. The Dawgs got ahead early thanks to an Ethan Pues two run single in the second. And it was the Dawgs pitching staff that held the Blue Sox scoreless until the 9th inning, where a Wyatt Hunt RBI single and Mike Benedetto walk with the bases loaded tied the game. But the Diamond Dawgs eventually won 3-2 in the bottom of the 10th on a hit by pitch with the bases loaded. These two teams played each other again at Murnane field the next night. Utica got ahead early in the first thanks to a Benedetto two run single. Then the Blue Sox offense stalled, allowing Mohawk Valley to eventually tie the game in the top of the 8th. The game went into extras again, but this time a 3-2 final score went in the way of Utica. Max French was the hero, dropping an RBI single past the diving attempt of the left fielder to keep the Blue Sox’s chances for finishing third alive.
But yesterday for the second time in three games, the Blue Sox were on the wrong end of a walk off. In Watertown, the Blue Sox led for the entire game up until the bottom of the 9th. With the bases loaded, Rapids infielder Chazz Crook pop one up to Sox shortstop Johnny Brucato, but he dropped the ball, allowing two runs to score and the Rapids to win the game. It put Utica back a full game behind third place Mohawk Valley with Watertown now just a half game back from Utica.
The Blue Sox played 4 games during the last week of the regular season. The last two home games scheduled at Murnane field are tomorrow against Watertown and Thursday against Oneonta. Utica’s last two games are on the road, for the first time this season the Sox make the trek down south to Cantine Field to take on the Saugerties Stallions for the first time since early June on saturday. Utica’s last regular season game is Sunday at Boonville.