The last time Marlboro played a baseball game in Saugerties the result was a painful season-ending loss to Chester in the 2021 Section 9 Class B championship game.

Saturday’s trip was a lot more satisfying as the Dukes pounded out 17 hits in a 15-0 non-league win over Saratoga Catholic in the Hope Rocks Hardball Invitational at Cantine Field. The game was called after five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.

Chris Thorne, who had two singles and a double in the May 7 win over Section 2 Saratoga Catholic, is hoping that the Dukes’ bats are warming up for a postseason run.

“I thought our approaches were really good as a team,” Thorne said of the Dukes’ plate appearances. “We weren’t trying to do too much and just put the ball in play and use our speed.”

Marlboro (7-4) has lost a number of games due to the rainy and cold spring weather, but Thorne is confident the team is peaking at just the right time. There are four more games on the schedule before the playoffs begin.

Thorne was on the squad that lost 4-3 to Chester at Lorenz Field in the Cantine Field complex last year. He’s hoping to make amends for that disappointment in 2022.

“Going into the postseason you want to build momentum and keep that through the postseason and hopefully capture that Section 9 chip,” Thorne said.

The Dukes wasted little time jumping out to a quick 4-0 lead in the top of the first in the second game of the six-team Hope Rocks Hardball Invitational.

Mike Valente drew a leadoff walk off Saratoga Catholic starter Pierce Byrne. After Valente stole second, Harrison Conn was hit by a pitch and John Ryder walked to load the bases.

Freshman Tommy Benfer ripped the first pitch he saw for a ground rule double and a 2-0 lead. Ryder scored on a passed ball to make it 3-0 with Benfer advancing to third. After Jack Schlagler walked, Benfer made it 4-0 on a nice piece of base running when he scampered home before Schlagler was tagged out in a run down.

Collin Casey’s RBI single upped the Dukes’ lead to 5-0 in the top of the second and Marlboro blew it open with a four-run third to build a 9-0 lead.

Thorne drove in a pair of runs with a single to center to make it 7-0. After Valente scored on a balk to up the lead to 8-0, Mitch Neer’s RBI single just inside the left-field line scored Valente for a 9-0 lead.

Neer had three hits and two RBIs for the Dukes, while Benfer and Jack Schlagler had two hits each.

Freshman Owen Schlagler went three scoreless innings to get the win for the Dukes over Saratoga Catholic (6-10). Nick Gephard and Matt Mahusky closed it out with two innings of scoreless relief.

Marlboro coach John Morrissey was pleased with his team’s performance.

“It was nice to see the guys have nice breakout day,” he said. “They put the ball in play, ran the bases hard and just made good contact. I talked to the guys yesterday. We talked about the potential that this team has. We haven’t reached it until a day like today. Hopefully after a day like today, they can see all the potential we have.”