The defending AABC National Champions and Twilight League Champion Albany Athletics (19-1 ATL/29-5 overall) wrapped up their 9th regular season League championship since 2001 when they recently defeated Blue Slate 2-1. Blue Slate had been the only team to beat the A’s earlier in the year by a 4-3 score.
The Athletics, who have now won the last 5 regular season league titles and 7 of 8, got an RBI double from Derick Horn and a triple from Jayson Sullivan who hustled to score on an errant throw for the game winning run in the 6th inning. The win gives the A’s an automatic berth to the Regionals and the #1 seed in the League playoffs.
In the win over Blue Slate, pitchers Mike Hughes and Chris Salamida combined for a three-hitter to help Albany win its 9th straight game.
The win was the A’s 6th victory over a 5-day period as the the team is expected to finish the regular season with 10 games over the final 8 days before starting the postseason with one day off in between.
The A’s also posted a 14-3 victory over the Albany Thunder in which Horn hit a 3-run homer, RBI double and RBI single. Sullivan hit a solo homer and single in the game while Dan Barbero singled three times. Ben Paniccia doubled twice and had 2 RBI.
A day earlier, the A’s posted an 8-6 come-from-behind win over Nolan Propane in the first game of a doubleheader. Down 6-2, Tim O’Connor doubled in two runs and Drew Cody tied the game with a 2-run homer in the 5th inning. Then Kyle Baldani doubled in the go-ahead run. The A’s exploded in the nitecap for a 15-0 victory thanks to Mike Allen hitting a 3-run homer, 2-run homer and 2 singles. Jason Martin and Barbero homered while Sullivan singled three times and Cam Oathout singled twice and drove in a run. Righthander Bill Lawton hurled a one-hit shutout to earn the win.
