HUDSON–On Monday afternoon at John A. Barrett field the Bluehawks moved to 2-1 in Patroon Conference baseball, defeating visiting Taconic Hills 11-3. After surrendering two first-inning runs Hudson pitcher Mike Bowes settled in to allow just one more over his final five innings, while coming up big at the plate, providing a single, a double, a walk, two RBI and two runs in the win.
The first inning provided lots of fireworks as the two teams combined for seven runs. In the top half of the inning Dean Mazzuchelli reached on a single for the Titans before Sam Lydon blasted a two run home run. But Hudson responded in a big way in the bottom half. Sophomore Nick Arre struggled with his command on the mound for the Titans, giving up a pair of singles to Bowes and Dustin Conte before walking two batters, forcing a fly out, walking two more batters, forcing a line out and then pushing another two runs in with two more walks before Lydon came on in relief to get the Titans out of the inning down 5-2.
After striking out three of the four batters faced in the top of the second, Hudson came back to add more runs in the bottom of the inning. Darren Conte reached base on an error and Elias Lopez drew a walk. TJ Gardner then plated Conte with a single. Lopez came home on a fielder’s choice ground out before Darian Blanks reached on a bunt single. Ryan Moore then drove in Gardner for an 8-2 lead.
Both pitchers settled in to grooves through the third and fourth innings, but the Titans struck for a run in the fifth. Mazzuchelli reached base on a walk and moved to second on a fielder’s choice. A Lydon single moved Mazzuchelli to third and he came home on a passed ball.
In the bottom of the fifth Hudson struck again for three runs. Addison Cunningham reached base on an error and stole second. Bowes launched a ground rule double that hopped the left field fence to score him, and Darren Conte connected with a hard hit single to right field that slid under the outfielder’s glove, allowing Bowes to score and Conte to move to third. Lopez brought home Conte with an RBI single.
Dustin Conte came on in relief in the sixth inning for Hudson and retired three batters on three pitches. Conte closed out the game in the seventh by striking out two of the four batters he faced.
Bowes hurled five innings for Hudson, allowing three earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out nine. Conte pitched two innings allowing no runs, no hits, one walk while striking out two. Lopez finished the game with a single, two walks, two runs and RBI. Blanks had a single, a walk, a run and RBI, Darren Conte finished with a single, two walks and three runs, Dustin Conte had a single and a run, Manny Folds had a single, a walk and an RBI, Gardner added two singles, a walk and an RBI, while Moore had a single and an RBI.
For the Titans, Arre went 2/3+ innings, allowing five runs, four earned on two hits and five walks. Lydon threw 4 1/3 innings giving up six runs, three earned on nine hits and three walks while striking out four. Mazzuchelli closed out the game throwing the final 1 2/3 innings, giving up no hits or walks and striking out two. At the plate Lydon had a home run, two RBI and a run scored, Mazzuchelli had a single, two walks and two runs scored, while Bud Tice, Max Bailey and Mitchell McComb each added a single. The Titans fell to 0-3 in the league.