By Josh McMullen – Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs

Box Score

LITTLE FALLS, NY – Thursday night's dramatics for the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs came in the form of the pitchers, and they delivered in spades. The Diamond Dawgs took the lead in the bottom of the eighth and never looked back, pitching a nail-biter to knock off the Amsterdam Mohawks, 2-1.

The two teams were scoreless until the seventh, when Zach Eldred (East Greenbush, NY/SUNY Brockport) scored Evan Haeger (New Hudson, MI/Alabama) on an RBI single that got all the way to the right field wall. Mohawk Valley tied it up, though in the bottom of the seventh on a hot grounder by Luke Nomura (Maplewood, NJ/Fairfield) that the Amsterdam shortstop booted into left field. That allowed Max McGlone (Doylestown, PA/West Point) to score and tie up the game.

Major Pellien (San Marcos, TX/Cisco CC) scored what would turn out to be the game-winning run, knocking a single to left field to score Justin Hurd. That would be all that Tyler Hodella would need in the ninth, only allowing an Amsterdam double to slam the door on the game

Gavin Miller (Baldwinsville, NY/George Washi got the win for Mohawk Valley (23-15), while Hodella (Miller Place, NY/Bridgeport) picked up the save. Logan Forsythe (Dilberville, MS/Mississippi State) was credited with the loss for Amsterdam (33-7).

The win has clinched the third seed for the Diamond Dawgs, and with it a home game for Monday night's playoffs.

Mohawk Valley will be on the road for the final time in the regular season as they play guest to the Oneonta Outlaws. Their regular season finale will be on Saturday when they host the Boonville Lumberjacks.

Amsterdam will finish out their regular season with two home games: Friday night, they will host the Glens Falls Dragons, and Saturday against the Albany Baseball Club.