DiamondDawgs win on Stover’s homer in 12th

By JON RATHBUN
Times Sports Editor 

Posted Jun. 19, 2014 @ 3:21 am 

LITTLE FALLS, N.Y. — Trey Stover’s home run into the football bleachers to the right of center field abruptly ended Wednesday’s game at Veterans Memorial Park and gave the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs a 7-4 victory over the Elmira Pioneers.

The DiamondDawgs had taken a 4-1 lead in the first inning but did not score again until the 12th. With one out, Tyler Lau was hit by a pitch from Alex Satterfield, the fifth Elmira pitcher. Mason Nickens followed with a single up the middle and was forced out at second base on Greg Fazio’s grounder. Stover, batting ninth for the DiamondDawgs, then hit Satterfield’s 1-1 pitch out of the park for his first Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League home run.

The first inning set the tone for the rest of the evening. Elmira strung together three hits and a walk with one out in the top of the inning and scored just one run.

Mohawk Valley had two hits in the bottom of the inning but took advantage of three errors by the Pioneers and scored four runs.

The DiamondDawgs had a chance to add to the the lead in the second inning. Stover led off with a single, advanced on a ground out and tried to score when Eric Strano singled to center field. Elmira’s T.J. Dixon threw Stover out at the plate.

Mohawk Valley would not put another runner on base until Jayson Sullivan doubled in the ninth inning.

Elmira tied the game in the sixth inning against Mohawk Valley starter Bryan Greig. Christian Santiseban walked leading off and Zac Bellinger reached base on an error. The runners moved up on a bunt by Taylor Hillson and Taylor Skerpon tied the game with a three-run home run for the Pioneers.

Skerpon was the final batter Greig faced. SUNY-Albany’s Terry Dugdale relieved Greig and pitched the final 6 2/3 innings for the win. Dugdale allowed three hits, walked one batter, hit another, and struck out two in the longest outing by a DiamondDawg — starter or reliever — so far this season.

Nickens and Stover each had two of the DiamondDawgs’ seven hits. Mohawk Valley’s first two runs scored when Justin Thomas’ single was misplayed in left field; Thomas ended up at third base and scored on an error on Jayson Sullivan’s ground ball. Nickens drove Sullivan home with a double.

Bellinger had two hits, including a run-scoring single in the first inning, for Elmira. Chris Kalousdian also had two hits.

The DiamondDawgs play at home again Thursday when they host a doubleheader against Adirondack. Play begins at 5:05 p.m.

 

Read more: http://www.littlefallstimes.com/article/20140619/Sports/140619368#ixzz355XcxeYV