TROY— When the measure to make the Section II Class AA baseball championship shift from a traditional one game, winner-take-all format to become a best-of-three series, what unfolded Sunday evening at Bruno Stadium is exactly what was envisioned: two closely-matched squads fighting it out for large-school area supremacy.
Saratoga Springs, winner of the 2022 title, entered play Friday’s Game 2 needing to win once to claim a second straight title. The Blue Streaks registered their fourth consecutive victory against the Plainsmen Wednesday in Game 1 behind junior ace pitcher Michael Mack, but top-seeded Shen was confident it could get ultimately could get to a third game and prevail.
Despite Mack allowing just one hit in a taut Game 3, the Plainsmen were the crisper team in the field and took full advantage of three costly errors by Saratoga Springs to emerge with a 3-1 title triumph that earned the Class AA title plaque and the I-87 Cup.
“I just hope I don’t wake up from a really good dream right now,” said Shenendehowa sophomore Brad Curtis, who came on to relieve Nino Salati in the fifth and earned the win after striking out the side in the seventh. “This feels amazing.”
After piling on each other near second base after recording the final out, the Plainsmen shook hands with the Blue Streaks, went through the awards ceremony, posed for a team picture by the mound, thanked their fans and went to the outfield for more pictures. Shen senior first baseman Austin Caldwell emerged from all that activity clutching the title plaque like a newborn baby he planned to hug throughout Memorial Day.
“I am not letting go of this at all,” Caldwell said. “They are our toughest opponent, our biggest rival every single year and they give us our best games. It just feels great to finally be able to take it.”
When the Blue Streaks (18-7)…
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