Filed by the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs:
Just like the last time the Albany Dutchmen and Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs met, there were runs scored in bunches from both teams.
However, this time, the only one scoring in bunches was the Dutchmen, as they scored three in the third, four in the seventh and ninth, and five in the fourth, as they decimated the Diamond Dawgs, 16-4.
The Diamond Dawgs would strike first in the bottom of the first, as a bouncing double by Jayson Sullivan (Charlton, NY/Sacred Heart) would give Sullivan a double and score Zach Collett (Westbrook, ME/New Haven). That was all Dutchmen starter Justin Curry (West Point, IN/Heartland CC) would give up, however, as he would strike out Mike Triller (Rutland, VT/Clemson) to get out of a second-third jam and end the inning. The run would be only the second run that Curry would give up
The Dutchmen would even the score in the top of the third, as a passed ball by Andy LaLonde (Bedford, NH/So. New Hampshire) would score Demetrius Webb (Indianapolis, IN/Indiana). Albany would get their nose ahead one batter later, as Adam Lee (Franklin, TN/Lipscomb) would hit into a groundout that would score Will Miller (Kannapolis, NC/College of Albemarle) from third. Sean Aspinall (Upland, CA/Azusa Pacific) would extend the Dutchmen lead to two, as he would come home on a single by James Locklear (Hamilton, NJ/Rider). Mohawk Valley starter Bryan Greig (New City, NY/Mercy) would pitch himself out of a first-and-third jam and get himself out of the jam on a groundout to second baseman Will Trahan (Beaux Bridge, LA/LSU-Eunice), but not before facing eight Dutchmen in the inning.
Ernie Clement (Rochester, NY/Virginia) would plate two more runs to start the fourth inning for the Dutchmen, as a looping single to right field with one out would score Danny Hrbek (Effort, PA/Radford) and Webb. Another two-RBI double by Nick Jewett (Phoenix, AZ/Trinity) would score Clement and Lee, and one batter later, Locklear would ground out to second base to score Aspinall.
Greig would struggle mightily for Mohawk Valley, facing nine Dutchmen in the fourth and seventeen in two innings before finally getting out of the inning.
The Diamond Dawgs would try to claw back in the bottom of the fourth, as Trahan slapped a single into the right field gap, scoring Triller. However, they would not score any more, as Webb would gun down Trahan, picking him off of first to end the inning and prove why he is the league leader in pick-offs.
Mohawk Valley would chip away at the lead in the bottom of the sixth, as Trahan would hit a soft blooper to right and motored into first with a single, sending Greg Fazio (Fair Hills, NJ/Rider) into third and scoring Triller.
Reliever Dylan Boisclair would not start out much better for the Diamond Dawgs, allowing back-to-back singles to start the seventh inning, then walking Webb to load the bases. Boisclair would allow the first six Dutchmen to reach base.
That would come back to bite him as Miller would rip a line drive into the right field gap to bring the Dutchmen lead back to seven at 10-3. Clement would score Webb on a bloop single one batter later. Lee would score yet another run with the next batter on a fielder’s choice, scoring Miller.
Boisclair would be pulled just one inning later for newcomer Joe Nellis (Utica, NY/Herkimer CC), who put the Dutchmen down 1-2-3 in his first inning with the Diamond Dawgs in the eighth. Nellis would get into a second-third jam in the ninth before being pulled for Matt Pidich with one out.
Curry would pitch six stellar innings for the Dutchmen before being pulled after the seventh-inning stretch for Dylan McGee (Katy, TX/Trinity).
Aspinall would extend the Albany lead even further, hitting a bloop single to center field, scoring Webb and putting Pidich in a first-and-third jam. Nick Jewett would clear the bases one batter later with a long home run to center, but Pidich would get Locklear out to end the inning.
Jamie Young (Lipscomb) came on for the Dutchmen in the bottom of the ninth, and would allow the first two Diamond Dawgs, Joey Carcone (Utica, NY/St. Rose) and Trey Stover (Lock Haven, PA/Hartford), to reach base. Young would walk Collett to load the bases one batter later. However, Young would come roaring back, retiring two Diamond Dawgs before walking Triller, which scored Carcone. He would slam the door on Mohawk Valley on the very next batter, striking out Fazio to end the game.
With the win, combined with the Glens Falls loss to Elmira on Sunday, Albany’s magic number is two. If they win tomorrow vs. the same Mohawk Valley (24-18) team at Bob Bellizzi Field, combined with at least one Glens Falls loss in their doubleheader with the Utica Brewers, the Dutchmen (20-23) would be the last team in to the 2014 PGCBL playoffs and would come back to Little Falls on Thursday for the one-game playoff.
After that, the Dutchmen will try to make the last day of the 2014 PGCBL season a non-factor, as they will head over to East Field to face the Glens Falls Golden Eagles. The Diamond Dawgs will head to Shuttleworth Park after the home-and-home series to face the East champion Amsterdam Mohawks.
