TROY — The chip on the collective shoulder of the Saratoga Springs baseball team remains this spring. Even though the Blue Streaks are the No. 2 seed hoping to defend a 2022 Class AA title they captured as the seventh seed in 2022, they showed they had plenty to prove in this playoff push and the results have been extremely impressive thus far.
Monday afternoon, Saratoga Springs avenged a regular-season loss against a second straight opponent as the combination of junior starter Christian Mello and senior reliever Trevor Duthaler combined on a three-hitter as the Blue Streaks posted a 3-1 victory over third-seeded Niskayuna in the Section II semifinals at Bruno Stadium.
“This feels great,” Mello said. “We did it last year and no one expected it. This year we come in as the two seed and we’re just doing work.”
Monday’s win marked the second playoff game in which Saratoga Springs beat a squad it lost to in Suburban Council play. Friday, the Blue Streaks beat Christian Brothers Academy 6-0 at East Side Rec. Niskayuna previously knocked off the Blue Streaks 7-0 in April.
Saratoga Springs (17-5) swept Shaker in two games the first time the Class AA title was earned in a best-of-three series in 2022. The Blue Streaks will return to Bruno Stadium for the first game Wednesday in this season’s title series, likely with junior ace Michael Mack on the mound.
“I think it is a testament to our program. The kids have been working hard and we have a great program from our Little League all the way up through,” Saratoga Springs coach Andy Cuthbertson said. “For us to get back to this game says something about what we have been doing and kudos to the guys putting the work in.”
Niskayuna (14-8), a program that was seeking a trip to the Class AA final for the first time since 2019, entered Monday’s contest having won eight of their past nine games with the…
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