Muckdogs Outlast Tarp Skunks 8-6 to Claim Sole Possession of PGCBL West Lead
Written by Intern WBTA on June 30, 2026
By: Cam Crossett
Batavia N.Y.- With first place in the Perfect Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) West Division hanging in the balance, the Batavia Muckdogs rose to the occasion on Wednesday night, defeating the Jamestown Tarp Skunks 8-6 in a rain- interrupted showdown at Dwyer stadium.
Entering the contest, both clubs were tied atop the West Division standings at 16-6. Batavia’s victory improves the Muckdogs record to 17-6 giving them sole possession of first place.
The Muckdogs wasted little time jumping on Jamestown starter Zachary McLean. In the bottom of the first inning, Glenn Brooks delivered a two-run RBI single to give Batavia an early 2-0 advantage.
A 48- minute rain delay at the end of the second inning briefly halted the momentum, but the Muckdogs came out of the break swinging despite the sweltering Western New York heat.
Batavia broke the game open in the third inning with three consecutive run-scoring plays. Evan Brock drove in a run on a fielder’s choice to extend the lead 3-0 before Brooks added his third RBI of the night with a sacrifice fly. James Quintero followed with an RBI single, pushing the advantage to 5-0.
Jamestown turned to reliver Santino Musone in the fourth inning, but the Muckdogs added another run when Jalen David lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Myles Monell to score, making it 6-0.
While the offense was piling up runs, Batavia starter Jake Szlis was dominant on the mound. The right-hander allowed no hits over five scoreless innings while striking out four to improve to 2-0 on the season. Even after the lengthy rain delay, Szlis never lost his rythym, setting the tone for the Muckdogs throughout the evening.
“Jake Szlis man, that guy stepped up today,” Muckdogs manager Skip Martinez said after the game. “He set the tone early and our offense responded. We finished with 13 hits and eight runs. Overall, it was a really good team win.”
The game’s momentum shifted dramatically in the sixth inning.
Reliver Jack Page entered after Szlis’s outstanding outing but ran into immediate trouble, loading the bases with two outs. Garrett Beaver came on in relief but was greeted by Jamestown’s Dom Costello, who crushed his first home run of the season- a towering grand slam that ricocheted off the right field foul pole- to suddenly pull the Tarp Skunks within one run at 6-5.
Despite the sixth-inning scare, Martinez was proud of the way his club responded.
“We had a little meltdown in one inning, but good teams bounce back and keep the ship going in the right direction,” Martinez said. “Our message has been to stay locked in. We have a great culture here, but with that comes discipline. The guys responded after the rain delay and after the grand slam, that’s what good teams do.”
McLean (0-1) took the loss for Jamestown while Szlis earned the victory.
The Muckdogs will look to carry momentum into tonight’s non-conference matchup against the Power City Athletics, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
