Baseball: Plainsmen get a scare

Brennan McCormack smacked a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to give defending Section II Class AA champion Shenendehowa the lead for good in a 4-2 quarterfinal win over No. 9 Guilderland on Friday.

The top-seeded Plainsmen had fallen behind, 2-1, in the top of the inning. Matt Drum and Justin Yurchak also homered for Shenendehowa (20-1). Aaron Kalish collected the win for the Plainsmen with five strikeouts and no walks.

Sophomore Matt Pierce took the loss for the 12-10 Dutchmen, striking out six and walking four over 52⁄3 innings. Zach Formica homered to lead off the first inning.

Shenendehowa will play No. 5 Niskayuna, a 7-0 winner over No. 4 Schenectady, in the semifinals tonight at 7 p.m. at Joe Bruno Stadium.

Third-seeded Columbia edged No. 6 LaSalle, 5-4, scoring twice in the home seventh after the Cadets had taken a 4-3 lead in the top half.

The Blue Devils’ Kevin Smith scored three runs on a 2-for-2 day, doubling once and stealing a base. He also came on in relief in the seventh, allowing one run but booking the win.

Columbia will face No. 2 Christian Brothers Academy in today’s 4 p.m. semi at Joe Bruno Stadium.

The Brothers beat No. 7 Shaker, 4-1, led by Matt Hamel, who was 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs. Justin Decker was 2-for-3 and Zack De­Thomasis hit a two-run home run.

In Class A, top seed and defending champ Queensbury, a state semifinalist last year, was ousted by No. 8 Averill Park, 5-2. The Warriors’ Tyler Childrose struck out nine while walking just two and allowing one earned run. Sam Beaulac doubled, drove in three runs and scored one, while Ben Reinisch added a solo homer.

Amsterdam put up five runs in the top of the seventh inning to beat Scotia-Glenville, 5-1. Andrew Rouse got the rally rolling with a two-run single with no outs. Eric Robertshaw had a single and a double for the No. 5 Rams. On the mound, Julian Gallup struck out eight and walked two for the win.

Dan Zeglen doubled for the No. 4 Tartans. On the mound, he allowed only two singles through the first six innings.

Schalmont hurler Matt Capovani held Cairo-Durham to four hits in a 4-0 Class BB quarterfinal, striking out six. The Sabres’ Brion Dufek and Chris Hamilton both had two singles, Dufek driving in a run.

The Sabres (20-1) will play against Albany Academy in the semifinals today at 4 p.m. at Bleecker Stadium.

In the only Class B quarterfinal, No. 6 Voorheesville’s Kistian Singh struck out 10 while allowing just one hit in the Blackbirds’ 4-0 win over No. 3 Hoosick Falls. The one hit, a single by Wyatt Whittman, came with one out in the bottom of the seventh.

Voorheesville, the defending sectional Class C champ and state semifinalist, will play No. 2 Chatham in the semifinals today at 1 p.m. at Veterans’ Park in Saratoga Springs.

Hoosic Valley threw four pitchers who combined to three-hit No. 4 Lake George in a 16-3 win for the No. 5 Indians. Matt Espey and John Lucas both singled three times for Hoosic Valley, and Jared Morello and Don Espey both doubled.

Fourth-seeded Mekeel Christian Academy topped No. 5 Salem, 6-2, in a Class D quarterfinal and will face No. 1 Fort Ann, the defending state champion, today at 4 p.m. at East Field in Glens Falls.

Salem (6-6) led, 2-1, before the Lions (11-10) got an RBI double from Dan Gregory in the home third to tie the game. After Scott Voelker moved Gregory to third with a single, Gregory came home with the eventual winning run on a passed ball.

Gregory finished 2-for-4 with two doubles, and Tyler Guido had a triple and an RBI. Salem’s Josh Steele doubled in a run in the first inning.