CLIFTON PARK — Just about the only thing colder than the Shenendehowa baseball team’s start Friday morning were the temperatures for its encounter against rival Saratoga Springs at Plainsmen Park. The game began with conditions at 47 degrees and things actually dipped three degrees by the third inning. The first inning proved chilly enough for the Plainsmen.
Before Saratoga Springs junior right-hander Christian Mello took the mound to face the Plainsmen, he already had been staked to a big lead as the Blue Streaks took advantage of four walks, an error, one single and a wild pitch to open up a 5-0 cushion.
Two spirited rallies by Shen would not be enough to overcome the sluggish start as Saratoga Springs posted an 8-5 victory to retain possession of the I-87 Cup in a non-league encounter between the Suburban Council powers.
The I-87 Cup came into existence in 2017 and is awarded to the winner between the two rivals, even after playoff games. The Blue Streaks (3-1 overall) maintained possession of the hardware in the first meeting in 2022, lost to the Plainsmen (2-1) in the second encounter and gained it back with a Class AA semifinal victory.
“Playing Shen is always an important game no matter what sport you play,” said Mello, who earned the win Friday after working the first four innings. “Especially when I got the start for this game, I was pretty hyped. I wanted to come here and compete, throw strikes and help our team win.”
Mello’s work was made easier by the start the Blue Streaks produced against Shen starter Brandan Shields, who issued bases-loaded walks to Owen Redick and Trevor Duthaler to start the scoring carousel for the Blue Streaks.
“That was really nice to have,” Mello said.
“That’s got to make anyone’s nerves go down a little bit,” said Saratoga Springs coach Andy Cuthbertson, who earned his 100th career…
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