DiamondDawgs Play Small-Ball With Glens Falls, Burn Dragons 4-3
By: Team Press Release
| LITTLE FALLS, NY—Both the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs and the Glens Falls Dragons have a reputation for playing “small-ball” baseball: using singles and doubles to scratch out wins, not necessarily worried about power hitting as much.
That was certainly on display Friday night at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Little Falls, as Mohawk Valley and Glens Falls combined for only four extra-base hits, with the Diamond Dawgs coming out on top, 4-3.
The Dragons would get on the board first in the second, however, as an RBI single by Dan Lowndes (Poughkeepsie, NY/Siena College) would score Brian Uliana (Bethlehem, PA/Rider University). That would be all Mohawk Valley starter Anthony Rupp (Staten Island, NY/Long Island University-Brooklyn) would give up, however, as he forced Dan Carollo (Bedford Hills, NY/University of Hartford) to fly out to end the second.
Three straight doubles by Mohawk Valley’s Mike Martinez (West New York, NJ/Rutgers University), Tanner Leenknecht (Billings, MT/Treasure Valley CC), and Mac Crispino (Avon, CT/Fairfield University) would score Crispino and Leenknecht. That would give the Diamond Dawgs a 2-1 lead as they ended the fourth inning.
The Dragons tied up the score on an RBI double in the top of the fifth inning by Robbie Knightes (Schenectady, NY/St. John’s University). That hit would score Hunter Szaflarski (Greencastle, PA/Lock Haven University).
The Diamond Dawgs would pull ahead in the bottom of the sixth, as an RBI single by Andrew Turner (King of Prussia, PA/Long Island University-Brooklyn) would score Leenknecht. That would chase starter Joe Jones (Cookeville, TN/Maryville College) from the game, replacing him with Peter Masterson (Park Ridge, NJ/Kutztown University of Pennsylvania). Turner would score on a passed ball by Carollo to make the score 4-2 for Mohawk Valley.
Glens Falls would claw their way back to within one run, as an RBI single by the ever-dangerous Uliana would score Ryan Hooper (Moraga, CA/UC-Davis). That run would bring the score to 4-3.
That one-run lead would be all relievers Brendan Welch (Easton, MA/Southern New Hampshire University) and Zachary Vennaro (New Hartford, NY/Monroe CC) would need for Mohawk Valley, as they would keep the Dragons’ bats silent for the rest of the game en route to the win.
Vennaro would pick up the save for Mohawk Valley (18-14), while Rupp would get the win. Jones would be saddled with the loss for Glens Falls (14-20).
The Diamond Dawgs will head to Bob Bellizzi Field on Saturday for an early look at the field for Wednesday’s All-Star Game before a game with the Albany Dutchmen. The Dragons will have a day off on Saturday before hosting a matinee at East Field on Sunday with the Saugerties Stallions. |