Filed by the Amsterdam Mohawks
Battling their way through windy, cool and wet conditions, the visiting Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs invaded soggy Shuttleworth Park and prevailed with a 4-2 decision over the Amsterdam Mohawks on Tuesday night. While the four other contests in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League were washed out, the Dawgs and Tribe were able to get in the game as the rain broke earlier in the afternoon allowing the team's staff adequate time to get the field playable.
Amsterdam out-hit Mohawk Valley 12-7 in the contest but were unable to come up with the timely hit they needed as they stranded 10 runners on the base-paths.
Willie Shaw (William and Mary) socked his first home-run of the season and added a double and two runs scored to lead the Dawgs' offense.
Starting pitcher Gavin Culpepper (SE Louisiana) lasted five strong innings of shutout ball scattering five hits while striking out six to earn his first victory.
Patrick Michon (Texas A&M) struck out a pair in the ninth to earn his first save.
Shane Zimmer (Canisius) socked the first long-ball of the season for the Mohawks while going 2-for-4. Kevin Guthrie (Brown) began the game as the designated hitter and went 2-for-3 with a walk and later came on as a relief pitcher throwing three innings of no-hit ball in the seventh, eighth and ninth.
Mohawk Valley improved to 3-1 with their third straight victory. Defending League Champion Amsterdam fell to a record of 1-2.
Shaw's solo homer to left in the second inning off Amsterdam starter Logan Fullmer (Maine) staked the visitors to the early 1-0 advantage.
Mohawk Valley tacked on a couple more against Alex Gagne (Maine) in the fifth with Willie Shaw again sparking the rally, this time with a leadoff double. Mike Fischer (Columbia) singled him around with two outs. And Fischer scurried all the way around from first on a double deep to the gap in left-center by Casey Rodrigue (LSU-Eunice) that was almost caught on a terrific sliding attempt at the fence by Mohawks' centerfielder Ed Charlton (NJIT) who ppeared to barely get a glove on the ball but was unable to hang on.
Mohawk Valley built their lead to 4-0 in the top of the sixth on an RBI-double by Dalton Harrington (Louisiana-Monroe) plating Landon Thibodeaux (LSU-Eunice) who had singled before him. Thiebodeaux had a pair of hits as well as a couple of stolen bases.
Amsterdam started to chip away at the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Shane Zimmer's leadoff home-run greeted Keegan Long (St. Joseph's, Ind.) into the game to make the score 4-1. And Devin Wenzel (Cincinnati) scored on a Kevin Guthrie hit. Amsterdam was threatening for more in the sixth with two runners on base and only one out but Mohawk Valley worked an infield double-play to end the jam.
The Mohawks would try to spark things with a leadoff single in the seventh by Josh Gardiner (Radford), a pair of singles in the eighth, and a one-out baserunner in the ninth via a hit batsmen but the Dawgs' bullpen worked out of each situation.
Amsterdam returns to Shuttleworth Park on Wednesday night against the Albany Dutchmen with 6'7" right-hander Trey Wingenter (Auburn) starting for the Tribe.
Mohawk Valley aims for their fourth straight win on Wednesday night when they return to Veterans' Memorial Stadium in Little Falls hosting the Newark Pilots.
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