DiamondDawgs blow lead, rally for win

By TIMES STAFF REPORTS

LITTLE FALLS, N.Y. — After letting a five-run lead slip away Tuesday, the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs came back with seven more and defeated Albany’s Dutchmen 12-5 at Veterans Memorial Park.

The DiamondDawgs roughed up three Albany relievers in their final two at-bats, breaking a 5-all tie against Dylan McGee and Josh Ferry in the seventh then padding the lead against Ferry and Jamie Young in the eighth.

McGee relieved starter Jose Hernandez who settled down after allowing five runs in the first two innings and set an Albany season-high with eight strikeouts. After retiring two of the first three DiamondDawgs to start the seventh, McGee allowed an infield hit to Colin Hawk who joined Eric Strano on the basepaths. Jayson Sullivan singled on a 3-2 pitch and drove Strano home with the go-ahead run and Mike Triller followed with a two-run single, knocking McGee out of the game.

Gus Craig greeted Ferry with a double to right-center to drive in another run. Craig was thrown out at third base to end the inning.

The late offensive surge continued in the eighth inning for Mohawk Valley. Greg Fazio singled leading off and Ferry hit the next two batters to load the bases. After walking Strano to force home a run, Ferry was pulled in favor of Young.
Young fanned the first batter he faced then issued another bases-loaded walk to Hawk. Triller added a two-out single and sent the final DiamondDawg across the plate.

Zach Collett had an RBI-single in the first inning and the DiamondDawgs added runs on an error and a wild pitch. Hawk, batting cleanup for the second day in a row, hit a two-run single in the second.

Danny Hrbek homered against Michael DeCarlo leading off the third inning for Albany. Sean Aspinall singled in a run in the third and the Dutchmen added three runs in the fifth, tying the game on Justin Brock’s RBI-single with two outs.
Collett, Hawk and Triller all had two hits for Mohawk Valley. Joe Carcone scored three runs out of the leadoff spot while Strano and Andy LaLonde scored twice each. Triller had three runs batted in after driving in two runs in his first 12 Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League games.

Left-hander Evan Kissinger threw 2 1/3 innings of one-hit relief and earned his first victory after taking two tough losses within the last week. He pitched 4 2/3 inning in relief July 16 in Utica and lost in the 12th then took a shutout into the sixth inning of his first start Saturday in Amsterdam.

Aspinall, Will Miller an Ernie Clement each had two hits for Albany and Clement scored twice.

The DiamondDawgs play the first of three consecutive doubleheaders Wednesday in Glens Falls. They will play two more games on the road Thursday in Watertown then finish a stretch of 13 games in eight days Friday at home against Elmira.