The Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs started the 2015 campaign looking to avenge their loss to Amsterdam in the Eastern Division Final last year.
They certainly got off on the right foot, as they scored five of their seven runs in the fifth and sixth innings, knocking off the Adirondack Trail Blazers, 7-1
The DiamondDawgs (1-0) got the first run of their new season in the very first inning when JD Osborne (Whitby, Ontario, Canada/Polk State College) slapped a single to left field to score Anthony Herrera (McKinney, Texas/Louisiana-Monroe).
Adirondack (0-1) struck back in their half of the third, when pinch-hitter Brendan Looby (Sewall, NJ/Chestnut Hill College) drove a ball to deep center field for a double, scoring Ryan Paige (Carthage, NY/Mansfield University).
Mohawk Valley would take back the lead in the bottom of the fifth, when a sacrifice from Herrera would score Chris Rave (Middletown, NY/Herkimer College). Colin Hawk (Beech Grove, Indiana/University of Indianapolis) would extend the lead to two on a long fly ball to left field. Hawk would get a double and score Troy Scocca (Syosset, NY/Fairfield University). Hawk would score himself on a grounder up the middle from Thomas Walraven (Pine Bush, NY/University of New Haven).
Sam Machonis (Tampa, Florida/Florida Southern)would extend the lead to four in the sixth with a long solo home run directly over the center field wall off Trail Blazer reliever Stephen Himic (Birmingham, Alabama/Birmingham-Southern College). The runs would continue after that, as a sacrifice fly to right field from Scocca would score Matt Pagano (Cranston, RI/Marist) to extend the lead to 6-1.
Reliever Nick Harper (Chevy Chase, Maryland/College of the Holy Cross) could not stop the bleeding in the eighth, as a wild pitch would score Pagano to extend the lead to 7-1. Zachary Vennaro (New Hartford, NY/Monroe CC) would put out the Trail Blazers in order in the ninth to close out the game.
Tyler Brien (Ilion, NY/SUNY Cortland) would come away with the win. Himic would be saddled with the loss.
The DiamondDawgs begin their Patriot Bank Cup series against the Amsterdam Mohawks at Shuttleworth Park on Wednesday. Adirondack will return to Smith Sports Complex on Wednesday to face the Utica Brewers.