By Cody Marshall-Sultan of Sports

GALWAY–Coming off a 22-5 blowout win against Sharon Springs, the Golden Eagles varsity team was back on the diamond Friday, looking to knock off Berne-Knox-Westerlo and gain ground in the Class C standings. Adam Berlin was given the start on the mound, as he faced off against Bulldogs starter Kyle Gibbs.

The first inning started off a little rough for the Golden Eagles as walks and bloop singles led to the Bulldogs putting a run across early. The Bulldogs would’ve been able to score twice if Evan Ceroalo hadn’t made the force play at home for the first out of the inning. However, the top of the lineup for the Golden Eagles continued its hot streak. With two out and two on, Cody Marshall blooped a single in that dropped just in front of the center fielder, allowing Shane Marshall and Kyle Collins to score to put the Golden Eagles up 2-1.

From there, Galway would tack on two more runs in the 3rd inning to stretch the lead to 4-1, before Ben Geist’s solo blast to center field put the Bulldogs within two runs. Berlin’s pitching from there on out was downright nasty. The Golden Eagles managed to hold the Bulldogs off the board until the 7th when the Bulldogs would make a great attempt to rally with four runs in the final frame.

Adam Berlin picked up the win on the mound for the Golden Eagles (2-2). On the offensive side, Cody Marshall was 3-for-4 with a double, two singles, and 4 RBIs, giving him 13 for the entire week. Kyle Collins also had another multi-hit game and drove in a run in the winning effort. Shane Marshall managed two singles as well, including an RBI single to contribute to the cause.

This was a busy week for the Golden Eagles, not only on the diamond, but in the media as well. Senior Kyle Collins was named as The Saratogian’s Athlete of the Week for males, while fellow senior Cody Marshall was named as one of the Times Union’s Best for both Monday and Wednesday.

The Golden Eagles improved to 6-5 overall and 5-3 in the WAC, marking the first time Galway has had a winning overall record since the first game of the season last year. Also, Galway’s win has put them two wins away from becoming the first Galway baseball team since 2008 to clinch a spot in Sectionals. The win also continues a winning streak against the WAC South. To start the season, Galway was 0-3 against WAC South opponents after losing to Schoharie, Duanesburg, and Middleburgh. However, two wins against Sharon Springs and Berne-Knox-Westerlo have put the Golden Eagles in position to finish 3-3 against WAC South opponents. The Golden Eagles are back on the diamond Monday in the Battle of 147 as they travel to Scotia to take on Mekeel Christian Academy at 4:30pm.