J.J. McCoy hit a home run to lead off the game.

That was as good as it got for the Newburgh Free Academy baseball team.
The Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders took the lead for good with three runs in the second inning and tacked on three more in the sixth inning to hand the Goldbacks a 7-2 loss on Friday at Monroe-Woodbury High School in Central Valley.

“It’s still early,” Newburgh coach Scott Seabury said. “We’re trying to find the best combination for us to get out there. Tip the hat to these guys, that’s two of their better pitchers. They were just better than us today.”

The Goldbacks were the better team when they met on April 15 at Delano-Hitch Stadium, a game the Goldbacks won, 8-1 for their first win of the season. The Goldbacks and Crusaders were originally scheduled to play two games on Friday, but bus issues forced the rubber match between the two teams to be played on Thursday at Delano-Hitch Stadium.

In the first game, it was the Crusaders getting the early home run – from Kyle McDermott – with the Goldbacks coming back. However, this time, a leadoff walk to Lucas Beers and a single by leadoff Hayes led to a run-scoring double by Noah Brito and a two-run double by Joe Matise gave them a 3-1 lead.
“(McCoy’s home run) was a pretty big boost,” Seabury said. “They flipped it from the other day when McDermott hit a home run in the first inning, and they didn’t score after that. That was us tonight where we hit a home run, and that got flat a little bit.”

It could have been worse as the Crusaders loaded the bases with nobody out in the third inning, but Newburgh pitcher D.J. Clifford induced a pop-up and struck out two to strand the bases loaded.

“That’s D.J.,” Seabury said. “He’s got that bulldog mentality, and he wants the ball all the time. That’s him. I didn’t want him to go too many pitches tonight because it’s his first outing of the year.”

Ironically, the Crusaders manufactured a run in the fourth after Max Post reached on an error by Newburgh third baseman Colin Wing. He took third on a wild pitch and then scored on J.J. Kelleher’s sacrifice fly.

The Goldbacks got a run back in the sixth inning when Christopher Leggett tripled down the right field line and then scored on a throwing error.

By the bottom of the inning, Connor Hollenbeck was pitching in relief of Clifford, and the Crusaders loaded the bases with one out, A.J. Lugo grounded into a fielder’s choice as Newburgh first baseman Logan Voltaire cut down Matise at home plate.

Hollenbeck then seemed to get out of the inning, but center fielder Nick Schmidt lost Beers’ fly ball in the lights, resulting in a three-run double and a 7-2 Monroe-Woodbury lead.

“At two, it’s a bloop and a blast, but I’m never thinking we’re out of it,” Seabury said. “It definitely changes the complexion a little bit. You just got to keep battling whether it’s 4-2 or 7-2.”

It had only been the Goldbacks’ third game as inclement weather had postponed several games early in the season. However, the schedule is expected to soon get full after Saturday’s game against Kingston, which the Goldbacks lost, 13-3, at Albert Gruner Field in Lake Katrine.

This week, the Goldbacks are scheduled for five games in six days. Tuesday was their only scheduled day off. They’ll play three against Middletown, one against the Crusaders and a non-league game against the James I. O’Neill Raiders.

“I’m happy with the way we’re putting the bat on the ball for the most part,” Seabury said. “Maybe we do a little bit of a better job running the bases. I think we’ve been a little bit lax there. Pitching has been good for the most part and we have to tighten up our defense too.”