June 18th, 2022
LITTLE FALLS, NY – In a battle of big bats on Friday night, Garrett Musey and Tyree Bradley’s were the biggest.
The Goldey-Beacom and Bloomfield products, respectively, combined for 15 RBIs on Friday when the Watertown Rapids and Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs met. However, it was a single of the solo variety by Pete Durocher (Emerson, NJ/Manhattan) that gave the Diamond Dawgs the win in walk-off fashion, 15-14 over Watertown.
Back-to-back walks got the Diamond Dawgs off to a good start in the first. What gave them a better start, however, was the bat of Musey (Millville, NJ/Goldey-Beacom). Musey walloped a ball into the Little League field outside the left field fence to give the Diamond Dawgs a 2-0 lead, scoring Zach Brush (New York Mills, NY/LeMoyne).
After walking home a run in the second, Watertown managed to get the same start in the third: back-to-back walks, but this time, they were able to load the bases. This time, the bat of Bradley (West Orange, NJ/Bloomfield) sent a ball into the center field bleachers for a grand slam and give the Rapids a 5-2 lead.
Three walks in four batters put the Diamond Dawgs down by two, thanks to an RBI by Ernesto Polanco (West New York, New Jersey/Coastal Carolina). Marshall Awtry (Hockessin, DE/Goldey-Beacom) decided that was not enough, however, and gave Mohawk Valley the lead with a three-run blast to center field. That lead would be cut down to one in the very next half-inning, thanks to Ellis Schwartz’s (Cherry Hill, NJ/Emory) RBI double.
Watertown took the lead right back in the sixth, thanks to a ground rule double by Colin Hageman (Janesville, WI/Wisconsin-Stout). However, Musey would make sure the Diamond Dawgs kept the lead going into the seventh, smashing a ball into left center field to give Mohawk Valley a 9-8 lead.
That lead would not last very long, though, as Bradley would come home on a passed ball by Awtry. Meanwhile, Brett Myers (Lowville, NY/SUNY Oswego) would bring home another run, sending Michael Norton (Dunkirk, NY/Cayuga CC) home on an RBI single. Musey would not that lead stand once again, however, as his bat scored three on a double to left field to give Mohawk Valley a 14-10 lead heading into the eighth.
That lead would last just as long, as yet another grand slam by Bradley tied the score up at 14. But it would be Durocher and the Diamond Dawgs who got the last laugh, as his solo home run sent the Little Falls crowd home happy.
Ruben Del Castillo (La Verne, CA/Wagner) picked up the win for Mohawk Valley (5-6). Malachi Flaherty was saddled with the loss for Watertown (2-8), who have dropped eight games in a row.
Mohawk Valley will be back in action tomorrow night with a doubleheader at Keenholts Park against the Albany Dutchmen. The Rapids will be back at Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds on Saturday to host the Saugerties Stallions.