JUNE 23: DiamondDawgs Split Doubleheader with Dragons

DiamondDawgs Split Doubleheader with Dragons

By: Team Press Release

LITTLE FALLS, NY—The Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs came out hot in Game One of their doubleheader against the Glens Falls Dragons on Thursday.

 

Unfortunately, the twenty-minute break between games at Veteran’s Memorial Park seemed to cool them off.

 

Pitchers Andrew Kneussle (Peru, NY/Canisius College) and Brendan Welch (Easton, MA/Southern New Hampshire University) would pick up the wins for their respective ball clubs, as Mohawk Valley split a doubleheader with the Dragons, winning Game One, 5-3 and losing Game Two, 5-2.

 

In Game One, the Diamond Dawgs got the scoring started in the bottom of the third. Drew Arciuolo (Milford, CT/Fairfield University) would knock a ball that would get to the right field wall, scoring Mike Martinez (West New York, NJ/Rutgers University) and Sean Mazzio (West Chester, PA/Wagner College). However, in an attempt to stretch it into a triple, Arciuolo was punched out at third by cannon-armed left fielder Ryan Hooper (Moraga, CA/UC-Davis).

 

Mohawk Valley would double their lead in the bottom of the sixth, this time on a two-RBI single by Mazzio. That lead would grow to three soon after, as a fielder’s choice by Mike Martinez would score the second run.

 

An RBI double by former Adirondack Trail Blazer Chris Kwitzer (Cheektowaga, NY/University of Buffalo) would spoil the shutout for the Diamond Dawgs, as he would score Ryan Hooper in the top of the seventh. Brian Granton (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Colby CC) and Drew Greenwood (Pewee Valley, KY/Bellarmine University) would slam back-to-back RBI singles that would score two runs. The Dragons would bring the deficit back to two with two outs on a bases-loaded single by Josh Brown (Cold Spring Harbor, NY/Skidmore College).

 

That would be all reliever Zachary Vennaro (New Hartford, NY/Monroe CC) would give up, as he and Mazzio would combine to force Robbie Knightes (Schenectady, NY/St. John’s University) to line out to end the game.

 

Welch would get the win for the Diamond Dawgs in Game One, while Joe Jones (Cookeville, TN/Maryville College) would be saddled with the loss for Glens Falls, who notched their league-worst 14th loss.

 

In Game Two, Kwitzer would rocket an RBI single to left field, which would score Hooper and give the Dragons an early lead.

 

Brown would extend the Glens Falls lead to two in the top of the second inning, as his rocket to deep left field would score Dan Carollo (Bedford Hills, NY/University of Hartford). That would chase starter Colin Bohnert (West Caldwell, NJ/Rutgers University) from the game. He would be replaced by Lucas Godlewski (Little Falls, NY/Monroe CC).

 

A throwing error by Andrew Turner (King of Prussia, PA/Long Island University-Brooklyn) would extend the Dragons lead to three, scoring Knightes. Kwitzer would make the pain even worse for Godlewski in the top of the fifth, as his two-run home run would extend the Glens Falls lead to five. That would end Godlewski’s night, as he would be replaced by Chris Henry (Yorktown Heights, NY/Herkimer CC).

 

Kneussle would pitch admirably for the Dragons, going six innings of scoreless ball. He would get out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth before being replaced.

 

Turner would break the scoreless drought for the Diamond Dawgs, as he would go home on a Tanner Wessling (Kent, WA/University of Tennessee-Martin) single in the bottom of the sixth. Wessling would come home himself on an error by Glens Falls right fielder Hooper, which would pull the Diamond Dawgs to within three.

 

That would be all that reliever John Bednarek (Cinnaminson, NJ/St. Thomas Aquinas) would need, as he would hold the Diamond Dawgs scoreless in the bottom of the seventh to close the book on Game Two.

 

Kneussle would get the win for Glens Falls (4-14). Bohnert would be saddled with the loss for Mohawk Valley (9-9).

 

The Diamond Dawgs head east on Friday to start a two-game road trip, where, on Friday, they will be in Shuttleworth Park in Amsterdam to play the Mohawks in Game Four of the Patriot Bank Cup. The Dragons have an off day on Friday before facing off against the Saugerties Stallions at East Field on Saturday