Sardo retires Potsdam in states

CANTON — Once Chatham pitcher Alex Sardo began to rely on his curveball he began to dominate Potsdam's offense during a state Class B baseball quarterfinal game Tuesday at St. Lawrence University.

Sardo ended the Sandstoners season by pitching his team to a 9-1 victory, a score that did not reflect the closeness of the contest.

Potsdam (14-5) never really figured out Sardo, picking up just three hits, but until the Panthers (25-3) scored four runs in the top of the seventh, the game was still somewhat in reach.

"He was a very good pitcher," said Potsdam senior Jerry Coleman. "He had a decent fastball and in the first two or three innings he was setting us up with his fastball and then came the curveball."

Coleman, who went 2-for-2, including a triple off the left field wall in the bottom of the third inning, was one of the few Sandstoners to solve Sardo. Harrison Schwarzer lined a single to center in the bottom of the sixth for Potsdam's other hit.

"He definitely got stronger as the game went on," Potsdam coach Chris Donah said of Sardo. "He definitely threw a great ballgame."

Potsdam had a good chance to get to Sardo early with runners on first and third after a walk and an infield error in the bottom of the first, but he got out of the jam by forcing a flyout to end the inning.

Coleman, who will play for Clarkson next season, scored Potsdam's only run, coming home on a fielder's choice hit by Schwarzer after one-out triple in the third inning. Sardo finished with eight strikeouts and only three batters reached base in the last four innings.

As impressive as Sardo was on the mound, the offense for the Panthers was also up to the task.

Chatham scored 32 runs in its previous two games to reach the state tournament and scored in every inning but the first and sixth on Tuesday.

The Panthers gained momentum in the top of the third when, already ahead 1-0, the team received back-to-back solo home runs from Sean Kenny and Brian Gauthier, each hit over the left-field fence.

"I think that relaxed us and probably put there team on the defensive," Chatham coach Scott Steltz said. "That can really change momentum and we can swing the bats."

Chatham's top pitcher, Zach Kraham, who will play for the University of Albany next season, played the entire game at third base but did go 3-for-3 and also reached base in the third when he was hit by a pitch. Sardo helped himself by going 2-for-3.

"They had the best offense we faced all year," Donah said. "They could hit offspeed (pitches) as good as fastballs."

Chris Reece was Potsdam's starting pitcher, and Coleman, who threw 151 pitches in a first-round game on Monday, threw the final two innings.