​WATERTOWN — Even during a trying campaign, the Watertown Rapids rarely felt they were finished for the season, even when a lead slipped away. They finally broke through for a victory by winning their season finale at home on Friday night, despite surrendering the opening advantage earlier in the day. The doubleheader came in a New York Collegiate Baseball League showdown played before a combined crowd of 418 at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds, with 250 people turning out for the nightcap after Genesee had taken the opener, 9-3.
In game two, Watertown jumped ahead 5-1 early, only to see Genesee answer with a six-run outburst in the fourth inning. The Rapids, however, refused to be rattled and regrouped in the fifth, erupting for five runs to seize the lead for good. “It feels good; we’ve had a bit of a rough stretch to end the season,” said Watertown shortstop Nate Matteson. “But it’s especially meaningful for our last home game on a night like this in front of such a great crowd.”
With the win, Watertown improved to 8-21-3 on the season, snapping a three-game skid and recording its first victory in 10 games. “It feels really good,” Watertown head coach Kameron Hartenstein commented. “I told the guys, ‘baseball is a beautiful thing.’ We won our first game here and we won our last, which I think provides a glimpse into the future of Watertown Rapids baseball.” Peyton Adams added, “We’ve been so close for a while, and this time it all came together. We were able to respond. They threw a good pitcher, but our pitchers kept us in it, and we put together some timely hits. We finally got the big hits and were able to get it done.”
Watertown went through a stretch where it batted around, sending 11 batters to the plate in a pivotal inning. After loading the bases, Soichiro Hanawa delivered a sacrifice fly to center that brought in the first run of the frame. The outburst continued, underscoring the Rapids’ willingness to seize momentum in a pressure moment. “Our team is known for that,” Matteson explained. “We don’t back down, not matter the deficit. Other coaches have told our coach that we never quit. Even if we allow a big number, we stay calm, do our jobs, and see what happens.”
Then, with Nate Matteson drawing a bases-loaded walk to keep the inning going, Will Bartoli scored from third on a wild pitch and Danny Leyva crossed the plate on a wild throw by Genesee catcher P.J. Ortiz, giving Watertown an 8-7 edge. Later, Adams doubled to right to drive in a run, and Jorge Rodriguez followed with an RBI single to stretch the advantage to 10-7.
Hartenstein reflected on the shift in momentum, noting, “It looked like Genesee had all the momentum at that moment. I told the guys, ‘hey, we just took a punch, it’s time for you to throw a punch.’ Our players answered the bell, and they did so with resolve.” The comeback capped a season that tested Watertown’s resolve but also hinted at a brighter future for the Rapids, who showed they can respond to adversity, grind through difficult stretches, and finish strong in a campaign that demanded resilience, perseverance, and collective effort from the entire roster.