MORRIS J. EDWARDS POST 5, AMSTERDAM POST 2

ST. JOHNSVILLE, N.Y. — For the second time in three years, Morris J. Edwards Post 168 is the American Legion baseball champion of Montgomery County.

Morris J. Edwards Post defeated Amsterdam Post 701 5-2 at Soldiers and Sailors Park Monday for its second win in as many tries against its lone intracounty competitor. The teams meet head-to-head three times each summer with the county crown awarded on the basis of those results. The St. Johnsville-based Morris J. Edwards Post squad ended a long championship reign for Amsterdam Post two years ago.

Dustin Baker took the ball and made an impressive debut on the mound for Morris J. Edwards Post. Pitching for the first time since he last toed the rubber for Fort Plain High School in the state Class C semifinals June 14 in Binghamton, Baker struck out eight batters, walked two and allowed one run on three hits over four innings.

Amsterdam Post’s Mike Deamer kept pace with Baker for the first two innings but the defense — including his own — let him down in the third. Evan Springer’s leadoff single through the left side of the Amsterdam Post infield was only the second hit allowed by Deamer. Dane O’Neil, Morris J. Edwards Post’s No. 9 batter, tried to advance Springer with a bunt but Deamer could not field the ball cleanly and threw late to first base for an error that put runners at first and second. Morris J. Edwards Post opted to bunt again with Blake Hart at the plate and was rewarded with another error. Deamer picked the ball up quickly, turned and threw to third base where Mike Kaczor missed the ball. Springer kept running and scored as the ball flew beyond Kaczor and Morris J. Edwards ended up with runners on the corners, nobody out and a 1-0 lead. O’Neil tagged up and scored when Adam Cutspec flew out to right field and Josh Nethaway drove Hart home with a two-out single.

“We beat them by bunting,” Morris J. Edwards Post coach Roger Weaver said. “They didn’t handle a couple bunts and that was the game.”

His counterpart saw the game the same way.

“That was the turning point right there,” Amsterdam Post coach Joe Quist said, “those couple of bunts.”

The teams traded runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Kaczor led off the top of the fourth with a single and scored on a double by Deamer to account for the first Amsterdam Post run. Just when the visitors seemed to have gained some momentum, Zach Weaver lined a home run off the Helmont Mills building to start the bottom of the frame and get the run back for Morris J. Edwards Post.

Weaver also homered against Amsterdam Post one week earlier when Morris J. Edwards Post was a 6-3 winner in the teams’ first meeting at Shuttleworth Park.

Keith Shults relieved Baker to start the fifth inning and immediately pitched himself into a jam. His first five pitches missed the strike zone, drawing Roger Weaver out of the dugout for a visit, and he walked the bases loaded with one out. One run came home when Deamer grounded out but Shults fanned Amsterdam Post’s next batter to get out of the inning.

Tyler Hall doubled and scored for Morris J. Edwards Post on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth.

Shults earned a save with three innings of hitless relief; he struck out four batters and walked four. Shults worked a 1-2-3 sixth ining but walked a batter to start the seventh. Following a fielder’s choice, Dan McNamara hit into a game-ending double play.

Kaczor singled twice and walked for Amsterdam Post and was the only player on either team with multiple hits. Deamer drove in both of his team’s runs; on the mound he allowed five hits over four innings but did not walk a batter and only one of the four runs charged to him was earned.

Morris J. Edwards Post travels to East Side Recreation Park in Saratoga Springs Wednesday for a game against the Saratoga Stampede, a team it lost to earlier in the season by a 9-5 score.

“I think we’re winning the games we should be winning,” Roger Weaver said with an eye to his upcoming schedule. “Now we need to start winning games that are more competitive.”

The next home game for Morris J. Edwards Post is Thursday against Ilion Post 920.

MORRIS J. EDWARDS POST 5, AMSTERDAM POST 2

Amsterdam Post  000 110 0 — 2  3  3

Morris J. Edwards Post  003 110 x — 5  6  1

Mike Deamer, Josh Brinkman (5) and Mike Rose. Dustin Baker, Keith Shults (5) and Josh Nethaway. W — Baker. L — Deamer. Sv — Shults. 2B — Amsterdam Post, Deamer; Morris J. Edwards Post, Tyler Hall. HR — Morris J. Edwards Post, Zach Weaver. Records — Amsterdam Post 2-5, 0-2 Montgomery County; Morris J. Edwards Post 9-3, 2-0 Montgomery County.

Compiled From Evening Times Staff Reports