(June 9th Game)
By Josh McMullen – Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs
LITTLE FALLS, NY – The saying goes, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”
To the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs on Friday, however, there was such a thing as a free feast.
The Diamond Dawgs took advantage of nine free bases – four walks and five hit batsmen – while also spraying singles in a 13-3 run-rule win over the Watertown Rapids. The two teams combined for 18 free passes on the night. It is the Diamond Dawgs’ second run-rule win of the season. Only Amsterdam has more run-rule wins, with three.
The Diamond Dawgs got on the board first in the second, thanks to a sacrifice fly by Justin Hackett (Wallingford, CT/Bryant) and an RBI single by Brady Shannon (Youngstown, OH/Central Florida). A walk with the bases loaded in the third brought home Owen Pincince (North Haven, CT/New Haven).
Shannon brought home another run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Nick Sturino (New Milford, CT/Fairfield). The Diamond Dawgs extended the lead to five on an RBI single by Mitchell Balint (Avondale, PA/Carson-Newman) that scored Ethan Valdez (Tampa, FL/Spring Hill).
The Rapids managed to get one run back in the fifth inning thanks to an RBI single laced to left field by Jax Miller (Pittsburgh, PA/Walsh). His RBI single brought home Colin Hageman (Janesville, WI/UW-Stout), but a big throw by Pincince managed to catch the other runner coming from third to mitigate the damage. However, the lead would go back to five on an RBI single in the bottom of the inning by Shannon, bringing home Brian Heckelman (Mineola, NY/Towson). Shannon would come home on an RBI double by Valdez just one batter later. Valdez came home himself on yet another RBI single, this time by Sturino.
Prandav Sundar (San Ramon, CA/Cuesta) cut the lead to five in the sixth with a towering fly ball to right, scoring him a 2-RBI double. His hit scored Owen Parliament (LaFargeville, NY/SUNY Oswego) and Gaetano Grandelli (Philadelphia, PA/West Chester).
Another RBI single by Valdez brought the lead back to six in the sixth, scoring Hackett. Sturino would add to the lead on – what else? – an RBI single to score Heckelman. Balint would break the chain of RBI singles for the Diamond Dawgs, though, scoring Valdez and Pincince on a two-RBI double.
Just like he had all day, though, Valdez came through one last time, scoring an RBI single in the seventh and ending the game early for Mohawk Valley
Colton Trisch (Bangor, ME/George Washington) got the win for Mohawk Valley (5-2). Jonah Shearer (Lowville, NY/SUNY Oswego) was saddled with the loss for Watertown (3-5).
The Diamond Dawgs will have an exhibition game against the Albany Athletics of the Albany Twilight League before returning to PGCBL play on Sunday at Veteran’s Memorial Park against the Boonville Lumberjacks. Watertown will head back to the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds on Saturday to take on the Utica Blue Sox.