League Champs

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Dawgs Halt Hawks Streak

By Brendan Reilly

Box Score

Shuttleworth Park, Amstersdam---The Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs kept their spot atop the Eastern Division standings with a come-from-behind victory over the Amsterdam Mohawks. Mohawk Valley’s Zane Smith (Bryant) tied the game in the sixth inning with a two-run home run to deep right-center, and Colin Hawk (Cincinatti) gave the Diamond Dawgs the lead in the seventh inning with an RBI single off of Mohawks’ relief pitcher John McCarren (Wake Forest).

Zane Smith was the best hitter for the Diamond Dawgs. Smith went 2-5 with a home run and two runs scored, even though he did strikeout twice. While Zane Smith led the offense, Nick Patrella (Skidmore) was the most important player for Mohawk Valley. He allowed two runs on eight hits, but pitched all nine innings to earn the complete game win.

Connor Johnstone (Wake Forest) had his best outing of the season for the Mohawks, but only came away with a no-decision. He escaped a bases loaded jam in the first, and also pitched out of a jam in the second with two on and no one out. He struck out five in six innings of work, but made one crucial mistake when he let Zane Smith take him out of the ballpark.

Amsterdam had a relatively quiet night at the plate. Jake Salpietro’s (Fairfield) two-RBI double in the fourth inning plated the only runs for the Mohawks. Joe Purritano (Dartmouth) made his Mohawks debut and went 2-4 with a run scored. John Razzino came in as a defensive replacement for Jake Salpietro in the top of the ninth inning, but failed to extend his eight game hitting streak with his only at-bat in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The first runs of the game came when Jake Salpietro doubled home Brendan Tracy (Fairfield) and newcomer Joe Purritano in the fourth inning. The Mohawks would fail to score again.

The Diamond Dawgs responded with Zane Smith’s two-run homerun in the top of the sixth inning, which also scored Colin Hawk. Colin Hawk would single in Greg Fazio (Rider) in the seventh inning to give the Diamond Dawgs the lead.

The Diamond Dawgs extended their lead in the eighth inning when Zane Smith scored from first on a Gus Craig (Colombia) groundball single up the middle, which went under the glove of Amsterdam’s centerfielder Marcus Carson (Kentucky) and rolled all the way to the wall, as Craig advanced to third on the miscue. Eric Strano (Rider) scored Craig on the next at-bat with a sacrifice fly.

Nick Patrella earned the win for the Diamond Dawgs with a complete game, and John McCarren suffered the loss for the Mohawks.

Amsterdam’s next game is against the Glens Falls Golden Eagles in Glens Falls. Mohawk Valley will travel to Watertown to take on the Rams.

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