Stallions Steal Home Opener 7-4 as Dragons Cough Up Early Lead

Saugerties scored three unearned runs in the seventh and erased an early four-run hole to beat Glens Falls 7-4 in the season opener at East Field on Saturday night. The Stallions ran wild against Dragons catchers — 12 team stolen bases, three apiece from Nick Croce, Mason Gazzaway and Jack Beyl — and capitalized on four Glens Falls errors to flip a game the Dragons had led 4-1 after two. The Dragons open the year 0-1.

Tyler McKillop drove the early offense with a two-run double in the second, part of a four-run frame that also included an RBI groundout from Nick Sorbera and a Kaden Barmer error-aided single that brought McKillop home. Glens Falls then managed just one hit the rest of the way against a five-pitcher Saugerties staff. Reliever George Handal (W, 1-0) tossed three hitless, scoreless innings with three strikeouts, and closer Riley Hofrichter (Sv, 1) fanned two in the ninth — together holding the Dragons to a single baserunner over four. Mason Gazzaway crossed the plate three times on a 2-for-3 night with a double, Jack Beyl punched a two-run single up the middle in the fourth, and Michael Lebenson drove in two on an RBI single and a sacrifice fly.

Starter RJ Ensel kept Saugerties to a single run over three, but Anders Lowkes surrendered three in the sixth and Billy Kind (L, 0-1) wore the loss after the seventh-inning collapse. The Dragons struck out 12 times in nine innings and host the Utica Blue Sox at East Field on Sunday night.