Saratoga batter Owen Fear celebrates after getting a hit during the Class AAA finals against Colonie on Saturday, May 30, ,2026, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus in Troy, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Saratoga center fielder Alex Landau makes a catch during the Class AAA finals against Colonie on Saturday, May 30, ,2026, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus in Troy, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Colonie shortstop Cam Frazier tags out Saratoga baserunner Alex Landau during the Class AAA finals on Saturday, May 30, ,2026, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus in Troy, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Saratoga baserunner Elliott Maglia rounds third during the Class AAA finals against Colonie on Saturday, May 30, ,2026, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus in Troy, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Saratoga batter Alex Landau makes contact during the Class AAA finals against Colonie on Saturday, May 30, ,2026, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus in Troy, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Saratoga second baseman Jack Covell makes a play during the Class AAA finals against Colonie on Saturday, May 30, ,2026, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus in Troy, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Saratoga second baseman Jack Covell turns two in front of a sliding Colonie baserunner Cameron Frazier during the Class AAA finals on Saturday, May 30, ,2026, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus in Troy, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Colonie shortstop Cameron Frazer makes a play during the Class AAA finals against Saratoga on Saturday, May 30, ,2026, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus in Troy, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Colonie batter Steven Thomas takes a swing during the Class AAA finals against Saratoga on Saturday, May 30, ,2026, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus in Troy, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Saratoga pitcher Brendan Kantscheidt works during the Class AAA finals against Colonie on Saturday, May 30, ,2026, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus in Troy, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Saratoga batter Jack Covell takes a swing during the Class AAA finals against Colonie on Saturday, May 30, ,2026, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus in Troy, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Saratoga celebrates a run during the Class AAA finals against Colonie on Saturday, May 30, ,2026, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus in Troy, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Saratoga batter Owen Fear takes a swing during the Class AAA finals against Colonie on Saturday, May 30, ,2026, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus in Troy, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Saratoga players cheer for their teammates during the Class AAA finals against Colonie on Saturday, May 30, ,2026, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus in Troy, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Colonie starting pitcher Braden Fields works during the Class AAA finals against Saratoga on Saturday, May 30, ,2026, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the Hudson Valley Community College campus in Troy, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
TROY — It will come down to one game for a berth in the Class AAA state baseball playoffs on Monday night.
Top-seeded Saratoga Springs and third-seeded Colonie have taken their best-of-3 Section 2 championship series to the limit, splitting the first two games by lopsided margins.
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The Blue Streaks, the defending AAA state champion, staved off elimination Saturday night with an 11-3 victory over Colonie, which had won Friday night’s opener by the same margin, 14-6.
Each team will get a day of rest before returning to Joseph L. Bruno Stadium for the rubber match.
“Any time you’re faced with a win-or-go-home situation and you respond, you feel good about it,” said Saratoga coach Andy Cuthbertson, who indicated junior Shea Crotty likely will get the Game 3 start. “That was a decisive win for our boys. We’re ready to finish this on Monday.”
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After using three pitchers in Game 2, Colonie coach Michael Morrissey said he wasn’t sure who will get the nod in the deciding game for the Wolfpack. He will have the team practice Sunday in an effort to regain any momentum that might have been lost Saturday night.
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“What we’ve talked about with the entire team, and the program, is it’s a best-of-3 series for a reason,” said Morrissey, whose team was swept by Saratoga last season. “Friday night was our night. Tonight was Saratoga’s night – and Monday night, we play for the whole title.”
Senior right-hander Brendan Kantscheidt was dominant Saturday night, delivering 6 2/3 innings of four-hit shutout ball, striking out 10. He reached his pitch limit with one out remaining and two runners on. Colonie plated those two runners and one other against reliever Michael Kakaty, but the Blue Streaks already had built an 11-run margin to that point.
“Brendan Kantscheidt did a phenomenal job,” Cuthbertson said. “Almost got that complete game they were looking to have him get. We played much better baseball, manufacturing runs, getting a bunt down and hitting behind runners, and it was a different story tonight.”
“I was just thinking, ‘I don’t want to go home,’” Kantscheidt said.
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Seven of Kantscheidt’s strikeouts were called. He issued four walks and was helped out by some strong defense, including a back snag of a grounder by second baseman Jack Covell and an over-the-shoulder catch by center fielder Alex Landau.
“We’ve got to do a better job with two strikes and making sure that we’re not leaving it in the umpire’s hands, not that he did a bad job,” Morrissey said. “The umpire had a very good zone all game. We’ve got to do a better job with our two-strike approach and putting balls in play.”
Offensively, the Blue Streaks got 13 hits, including three each by Raul Rodriguez and Owen Fear. Rodriguez also had two RBIs, as did Cody Mills, Elliott Moglia and Landau.
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“I’ve got a lot of faith in us,” Kantscheidt said. “I know we’ve got Shea on the bump, and I know he’s dominating, and we’ve got the offense of the century. It’s just hard to deal with.”
The winner will face the Section 3 champion — either CBA of Syracuse or Liverpool, who meet Sunday — at 6 p.m. Saturday at Onondaga Community College.