The Leader-Herald/Mike Zummo
Saratoga Catholic’s Danny O’Rourke arrives at second base as Canajoharie shortstop Dane O’Neil takes the throw during Thursday’s Western Athletic Conference game at Canajoharie.

CANAJOHARIE — Errors are still plaguing the Canajoharie Cougars, but Payton Stahler made them turn out to be harmless.

Three two-out errors, one each in the third, fourth and fifth innings led to four Saratoga Catholic runs, but Stahler fell a triple short of the cycle leading the Cougars to a 6-5 win.

“We still didn’t play D [defense],” Canajoharie coach Brent Watterson said. “Four of their five runs came on errors. If we can play some D now, we’ll be back because we’re hitting again.”

The biggest of Stahler’s three hits was a two-run home run to left-center field in the bottom of the fifth inning that gave the Cougars a 6-5 lead off the Saints’ top pitcher Dennis Tario. Stahler gave Canajoharie its first lead since the Saints put up three runs in the third.

“It helped put us up,” Stahler said. “Then we came up and got some outs and we won.