By Josh McMullen – Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs (June 17, 2021)
The game between the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs and the Glens Falls Dragons had it all on Thursday night: an immaculate inning, a grand slam, and several other very long home runs. Fortunately for the home team, it all went their way.
Mike Becchetti scored nine RBIs on the night, as well as two home runs, as the Diamond Dawgs battered the Glens Falls pitching corps en route to a 21-2 victory in seven innings, stopped by the new mercy rule.
The good time started rather early for Mohawk Valley when Sal Fusco (Albany, NY/UMass Lowell) pitched his immaculate inning in the second inning. That was the second one Fusco had thrown already in the 2021 season.
Led by a double by Mike Becchetti (Eastchester, NY/Fairfield) and a triple by Ryan Morash (Califon, NJ/Hofstra), the Diamond Dawgs gave Fusco more than enough insurance, giving him five runs in the second. They’d follow it up with six more in the third, led by a two-RBI double by Alfredo Delgado (Bronx, NY/Manhattan) and ten Diamond Dawgs coming to the plate, turning what looked like a great day for Jared Niekam (Bedford, NH/Stonehill) into a very bad one indeed.
Jack Collins (New York, NY/Middlebury) tried to alleviate the damage with a home run to straightaway center, scoring himself and Reece De Castro (Rutland, VT/Castleton College).
It got even worse for the Dragons in the fourth, as Kieran Gibson (Chateaugay, NY/SUNY Canton) could not keep the ball in the park. He allowed two home runs to left field, including a grand slam by Becchetti, to cap off an eight-run fourth before Glens Falls even recorded an out. Fortunately, after another home run by Tyler Cannon (Clayton, NJ/Iona), Gibson was able to get three straight outs to mercifully end the inning.
Becchetti would get another home run in the fifth, sending a ball over the centerfield bleachers to get another two runs. With that home run, it would be the second time the Dragons would allow 20 runs in a game, the first being a 23-run drubbing against the Albany Dutchmen last week.
The game would end with the Diamond Dawgs falling short of that mark, as the newly implemented mercy rule would go into effect after the Glens Falls 7th..
Fusco would pick up the win for Mohawk Valley (4-7). Niekam was saddled with the loss for Glens
The Dragons will continue their road trip tomorrow in Amsterdam to face the Mohawks. Meanwhile, Mohawk Valley will take a day trip to Saugerties to face the Stallions.