Craig Stalker was too much for Whitehall.
Stalker struck out 14 batters in a complete game and drove in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead seventh-seeded Schoharie past 10th-seeded Whitehall 3-2 in the opening round of the Section II Class C playoffs.
Brett Christian nearly matched Stalker, limiting Schoharie to five hits in the final start of his varsity tenure.
Justin Hoagland had a pair of hits for the Railroaders, whose season came to an end with the loss.
The Railroaders played a flawless defensive game, but their offense fell short.
“We just didn’t the hit the ball the way we normally do,” said infielder Carl Rehm.
Whitehall was limited to just six hits and failed to get a man on base in the eighth inning despite having the heart of the lineup come to the plate.
The Railroaders scored a run in the first and fifth innings, but each Schoharie responded, twice tying the game after Whitehall had taken the lead.
After striking out two batters and inducing a fly ball, Stalker stepped to the plate with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, stroking the game-winning single.
The loss eliminated Whitehall from the playoffs in the first round for the second consecutive season, but with the exception of two or three players, a majority of the roster returns next season for what should be an experienced ball club.
Whitehall finished the season with a 10-7 mark and had the fourth-best record regular season record in the Adirondack League, major strides for a team that won only a handful of games two seasons ago.