WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – The Watertown Rapids were on their way Saturday, taking on the Albany Dutchmen in a doubleheader. Albany would beat Watertown in the first game 3-0 and complete the sweep with a 9-1 win in the second game.
For the Rapids, it was an encouraging start to the 2022 season.
The Rapids entered the double match on Saturday with a 2-3 record, after a tough 9-8 defeat to Geneva on Friday night.
Offense was no problem for the Rapids in their first 5 games, scoring 24 points and the Rapids’ 3 losses were all by one point
Manager Mike Kogut says he is satisfied with his team’s play in the first week of the season.
“We were able to get 4 games early. Sure the pitchers are a little further ahead of the attack, I think, in the whole championship, but I expect it to change as the arms get tired and the boys start to be more alive to the sticks with wooden clubs, ”Kogut said.
Kogut says the one thing that impressed him the most is the one thing that was the team’s Achilles heel last year: the launch.
“Surely how good the pitchers were at pitching for us. I mean, our staff did a great job during the first 4 games and kept us in every game, and it shows in the final scores, ”said Kogut.
For some of the players, the leap from college baseball to the college summer season is a challenge, and they say going from playing 3 to 4 times a week to a schedule that sees them on the field every day takes some time. use both mentally and physically.
“Yeah, it’s actually a little different in terms of college, because we usually play back to back. We have doubleheaders probably 3 days a week. In the summer prom, it is practically every day and then a day off. It’s a big difference, but you know, it’s if you do it right and take care of your body, it’s nothing too drastic, ”receiver Elvis Lopez said.
“It’s hard for the body that plays every day here, I’m not going to lie. I love it, though. There are a lot of repetitions we need to get everyone involved in the team. The competition we’re seeing here is much better because we’re seeing a lot of D-1 guys that we don’t really see during our college season, ”said inside Tyree Bradley.
With a new manager and coaches made up of former and current baseball coaches locally, players on last year’s team say they see a different attitude and direction in the team both on and off the pitch.
“I think there is just a little more organization in the whole team. Everyone knows where they need to be, there’s a little more communication between everyone. I think this group is a bit closer than last year. I think they are a good group and I think we will be successful later in the season as well, ”said winger Brett Myers.
Another day and another state title for Colton Kempney senior of Beaver River at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association State Championships.
On Saturday morning, Kempney won the 3,000m obstacle course in Division 2 and finished 3rd overall with a time of 9: 04.79, beating his best time of 16 seconds.
Kempney’s high school career isn’t over yet, next weekend he’ll race at the New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia in the 2 mile on Friday and the mile on Sunday.
Section 10 athletes also did well in the state athletics championships.
In men’s events:
Potsdam’s Ansen Herrick ranked 5th in the triple jump, was 10th in the long jump, 12th in the 400 and 15th in the 200, but just under a second from the contention for medals.
Theo Hughes of Potsdam was 4th in the Pentathlon shot put.
Canton’s Nick Lyndaker was third in the 3200m race.
Max Finley of Canton won the medal in 6th place in the obstacle course.
The Canton 3200m relay consisting of Lyndaker, Finley, Miles Gendebien and Hayden Bregg finished in 6th place.
In the women’s competition. Maddie Dinneen of Norwood-Norfolk took home medals for 5th place in the obstacle course and 6th in the 800m, finishing 11th in the 1500m.
Sharon Colbert of the Flyers took 8th place in the 3000m race.
The Norwood Norfolk relay consisting of Colbert, Rachel Hewey, Allie Snell and Madison Carista was 8th in the 4×800.
Olivia Ellis of Tupper Lake was 6th in the pentathlon, including 5th in the high jump.
After 27 years, wrestling is back on the St. Lawrence University campus, if only for a weekend.
The University hosted a reunion of former Saints wrestlers for 3 days of activity.
The program, which was abandoned after the 1995-96 season, was one of the best Division 3 programs in the country and saw several wrestlers win national titles with the team winning the D-3 crown in 1988.
“When we were here, probably St. Lawrence wrestling was the most successful program in the history of this school with a rich tradition of national championships, individual national champions, many All-Americans. While this weekend isn’t about the schedule that’s not here, this weekend is about us getting together, seeing friends and families we haven’t seen in 20-30 years, and just reconnecting with the people we’ve missed and for whom. we loved the years, ”said Pat Conners, a member of the 1988 Division 3 National Championship team.
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