Getting ready to kick it in Clifton Park

The teams have all arrived, the fields are mowed, the lines painted and the Clifton Common along with the Shenendehowa campus soccer fields are impeccable (as usual). Now it's time to blow the whistle and get it started.

It's a slightly down year with only 108 teams competing...only 108, that will be kicking it on 22 fields this weekend. Previous tournaments have had a staggering 150 teams, cut down to a more manageable 124 to this year's base number of 108.

Saturday for me is about a few features, staying hydrated and fully sun-blocked for the entire day. Scores will be available here.

I'll be updating both on Twitter and here from my Blackberry (shameless plug hoping for free stuff).

Packing up and heading over to the Common now.

A great day to play two, or three and maybe four

The Babe Ruth baseball 13-year-old Northern District tournament is in full swing on Sunday with locals Saratoga and Clifton Park in action. If both teams have success it could mean more than just a doubleheader for me.

Clifton Park takes on power house North Colonie at noon in a winner's bracket showdown while Saratoga plays in a must-win contest against Amsterdam at 3 p.m. The winner of the 3 p.m. contest plays at 6 p.m. against the loser of the noon contest, potentially setting up another Clifton Park vs. Saratoga showdown.

That would make it a tripleheader for me and if time, space and internet allows, I might stay for the 8:15 p.m. game for the winner of the noon contest, but I think the limit is going to be three.

Noon contest update: Clifton Park once again gave back a lead, but Corey Hommel did everything in his power to push the green shirts to an 11-5 victory. He went 4-for-4 at the plate and threw six strong innings for the win. Clifton Park will now face yesterday's winner, Queensbury at 8:15 p.m.

3 p.m. contest: In a must win, loser go home tilt, Saratoga faces Amsterdam, a 10-0 loser to Queensbury yesterday. That winner will then face North Colonie at 6 p.m. tonight.

5 p.m. update: Saratoga became the first team eliminated from the 13-year-old tournament after a 4-3 loss to Amsterdam. Amsterdam will now face North Colonie at 6 p.m. in another elimination contest. The blue shirts were putting the bat on the ball, but right at the Amsterdam outfielders, including a chance with the tying run at third in the top of the seventh.

That'll wrap things up for me here at Boght Road Baseball Complex, hoping the Clifton Park squad can get by Amsterdam tonight to put their championship game on the schedule for Tuesday night. A loss puts them in a must-win Monday night with me attempting to make the opening round of the Babe Ruth 15s in Amsterdam Monday.

'Till then, "Hit 'em where they aint."

Babe Ruth tourneys in full swing.

The Clifton Park Babe Ruth 13's gave back some runs, but rallied for an 8-3 win at Boght Road Park in North Colonie.

Clifton Park faces North Colonie at noon on Sunday, Saratoga gets the loser of the Amsterdam/Foothills Thunder game at 3 pm in an elimination contest.

Those winners and first losers play at 6 and 8 pm also Sunday.

In the 14s, Clifton Park lost 4-3 and expect to face Saratoga who was down, 11-5 late on Friday before the game was called due to darkness. They'll meet at 2 pm at Queensbury in an elimination contest.

The 15s don't start until Monday in Amsterdam, so a little break and I haven't even begun to break down the Cal Ripkens yet. Hopefully tonight.
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Third (rain) strike against Phillies

Another day, another rain out. Thursday's Saratoga Phillies game at Amsterdam Mohawks is rained out.

Saratoga will attempt to squeeze in a doubleheader (7 innings each) at home Friday at home.
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Abby Knight to row at Junior World Championships in France

The incredible rowing season for Shenendehowa sculler Abby Knight refuses to end.

The New York State gold medalist, Scholastic Rowing Association national silver medalist and silver medalist at the Stotesbury Cup will continue rowing throughout the summer competitively, qualifying for the Junior World Championships in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France, Aug. 5 to 8.

A 2009 graduate of Shenendehowa, Knight was invited to the United States Rowing junior national sculling selection camp at the GMS Rowing Center in New Milford, Conn. Knight qualified for the world championships by finishing third in the double with Katie Burke from Hillsborough, Fla., at the Junior World Championship Trials last weekend in West Windsor, N.J.

“It still hasn’t hit me yet,” Knight said from the selection camp. “It’s in the back of everyone’s mind, but being my size I didn’t even think I had a shot. I had no idea how the coach was going to select the boats.
“(Coach Guenter Beutter) was very fair. When we did a 2k (2,000-meter workout on the ergometer) it was weight-adjusted — that helped me too. It’s pretty amazing. I’m still in shock.”

While Knight has experienced the thrill of being selected to represent the USA in France, it came with a hefty price: her lavender Hudson single.

“After we were done with our singles we had them lined up at the camp and a tree fell on my boat, the entire bow is gone,” Knight said. “Hudson already has it, at least I don’t need it for the rest of the summer.”

Knight, her family and Shenendehowa Crew are also banding together to help the sculler pay for her trip to France. The US Rowing Association requires each athlete to pay a fee to cover the cost of food, lodging, airfare and all other expenses associated with attending the Junior World Championships, the cost is estimated at $5,000.

Two Web sites have been set up to assist her, here and on Facebook on her “Support Abby Knight” page.

If the day ends in 'Y' it must mean a Phillies rainout

There is one thing that I have learned to guarantee this summer, if it's 3 p.m. in Saratoga Springs it probably means that it is going to rain...er. do I mean pour.

I had hope this afternoon, with no rain all day I left job one and headed out for a quick Angus burger at McDonald's (at least it's a lean hamburger!) and there I sat in the dining room watching it rain like cats and dogs.

It was bad enough that the storm drain that I was staring at had a hard time keeping up with the downpour...at East Side Rec I knew that my new most unfavorite four letter word had just become R-A-I-N.

Another day, another downpour and another rainout for the Saratoga Phillies, that's two in a row with a road trip scheduled for Amsterdam on Thursday and a home start against Amsterdam before the Fourth of July day off.

No word on the latest rescheduled rain outs, but I'll update as they become available.

Till then, keep your umbrella's handy and be prepared for a slew of 7-inning twi-night doubleheaders at East Side Rec.

Sunday DH: Phillies vs. Amsterdam, Game 2

Well, we should have one in the books and are set for a 7 p.m. start in Sunday's twinbill between the Saratoga Phillies and the Amsterdam Mohawks.

Click down below for all the action and replays at your fingertips.

Sunday DH: Saratoga Phillies vs. Amsterdam Mohawks Game 1

Saturday's rain in the afternoon pushed the Phillies into a twi-night doubleheader against visiting Amsterdam at East Side Rec in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Catch all the action of the 7-inning first contest down below.

Rain 2, Phillies 0

For the second time in as many days the Saratoga Phillies fell to Mother Nature as rain swept into the Spa City Saturday afternoon.

A quick stroll to East Side Rec showed several free-standing puddles, but home plate and the path to first base required a rowboat.

Then another shower came through as I was there and the field could never be ready tonight.

The Phillies will now take on Amsterdam in a 7-inning twinbill Sunday at 5 and 7 pm, always weather permitting.

Catch the live blog Sunday afternoon.
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NYS youth hockey tournament sites announced

I know it’s a bit early to talk about youth ice hockey, especially the 2010 state tournament schedule, but with the NHL Draft starting tonight it seemed only fitting to notate the dates have been released with the Saratoga Youth Hockey Association receiving the bid for the 18U midget tournament March 19 to 21, 2010.

The Blue Knights organization is the only hockey club to host a state tournament in the Capital Region next year.

Area pre-sectionals will be held the weekend of Feb. 12-14 locally

Sectional tournaments will be held throughout the state as follows:
Tier I – Squirt, Pee Wee and Bantam, Feb. 26-28
Tier II – Squirt, Pee Wee and Bantam, Feb. 26-28
Tier III – Squirt, Pee Wee and Bantam, Feb. 19-21
Girls Tier I – 12U and Women’s senior, Feb. 19-21
Girls Tier II – 12U and Women’s senior, Feb. 19-21
Girls Tier I – 14U, 16U and 19U, Feb. 26-28
Girls Tier II – 14U, 16U and 19U, Feb. 26-28
Tier I, II, III – All midget levels 16U & 18U, March 5-7

Here’s a list of where Capital District youth ice hockey squads could be headed for a chance to compete for a state title and beyond for Tier I and II squads:

Squirts
Tier 1 – March 12-14 Hamburg
Tier II – March 12-14 Southern Tier
Tier III – March 5-7 Salmon River

Pee Wee
Tier I – March 12-14 Amherst
Tier II – March 12-14 Rome
Tier III – March 5-7 Valley

Bantam
Tier I – March 12-14 Wheatfield
Tier II – March 12-14 Arrows Hockey
Tier III – March 5-7 Cortland

Midget 16U
Tier I – March 19-21 Westchester Express
Tier II – March 19-21 Nassau County
Tier III – March 19-21 Genesee/Batavia

Midget 18U
Tier I – March 19-21 Perinton
Tier II – March 19-21 Saratoga
Tier III – March 19-21 Fulton

High School
Large school division – March 5-7 Hudson Valley High School Club Hockey
Small school division – March 5-7 Hudson Valley High School Club Hockey

Girls 12U
Tier I – March 5-7 Buffalo Bisons
Tier II – March 5-7 Potsdam

Girls 14U
Tier I – March 12-14 Buffalo Bisons
Tier II – March 12-14 Saranac Lake

Girls 16U
Tier I – March 12-14 Amherst
Tier II – March 12-14 Amherst

Girls 19U
Tier I – March 12-14 Buffalo Bisons
Tier II – March 12-14 Ogdensburg

Women’s
Senior A – March 5-7 To Be Announced
Senior B – March 5-7 Malone Minor
Senior C – March 5-7 Malone Minor
30 & Over – March 5-7 To Be Announced