ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Albany Academy baseball team continues to mow through the Colonial Council. The Cadets improved to 8-0 in-league Tuesday evening. Some timely defensive web gems helped secure a 7-4 home victory against Ichabod Crane, earning Academy a season sweep of the Riders, who were 6-2 in the Colonial Council coming into the game.

The Academy bats quickly came alive in the bottom of the first inning, providing some early run support for starting pitcher Scott Hanson. The second man to the dish, second baseman Ty Kimbler, roped an RBI single down the right-field line, scoring his brother, right fielder Willie Kimbler, for the first run of the game.

And the Cadets weren’t done. Four batters later, designated hitter Andrew Kindlon served a ball out to center field. Ichabod Crane’s Dylan McCrudden charged hard from his center-field position, but couldn’t come up with a diving grab. Kindlon made it up to second base for a two-run double, giving Academy a 3-0 advantage after one inning.

The Riders had a response, though, in the top half of the second. Leadoff hitter Jack Mullins blasted a three-run homer to left field, knotting the game back up at three.

But Academy would get a couple of the those runs back in the next half inning. With two Cadets aboard, center fielder Gianni DiCerbo hit a routine grounder to short. The play was made cleanly, but the throw got away from Ichabod’s first baseman, allowing both runners to come around, and Academy reclaimed a 5-3 advantage.

The two starting pitchers settled in from there. Both Hanson and Ichabod’s Dominic Pelizza allowed just one run over the next three innings of work. Hanson got some serious help from his defense in the sixth frame. DiCerbo went full extension for a putout in center field for the second out of the inning; that brought Hanson’s outing to a close. The sophomore hurler finished with 13 punchouts over five-and-two-thirds innings pitched.

Ty Kimbler came on to close out the sixth inning, but quickly found himself in a bases loaded jam after issuing a walk and a subsequent intentional walk. Kimbler rolled up a chopper to short from the next batter. Geneo Savoca came rushing in, barehanded the ball, and fired across his body, delivering a one-hopper to first baseman Brody Staff, who picked the short-hop for the out, getting the Cadets out of trouble, and preserving their 6-4 advantage.

Academy tacked on one more insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, and Kimbler shut the door in the seventh for the 7-4 win.

Both regular season meetings between the two teams were decided by three runs. Academy won in Valatie, 13-10, back on April 10.

Albany Academy (8-2, 8-0) is back in action Wednesday night, hosting Lansingburgh. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. Ichabod Crane (7-4, 6-3) returns home Wednesday for its’ next contest: a 4:30 p.m. tilt with Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk.