June 26, 2018
The game started out as a pitcher’s duel between the Diamond Dawgs’ Erislandy Rives (Hialeah, FL/Barry) and Utica’s Jacob Randolph (Exeter, NH/Central Alabama CC), before Cole Habig (Plantation, FL/Embry-Riddle) would start off the scoring in the top of the third with a sacrifice fly to right field that would score Cameron Phelts (Tyler, TX/Texas College).
The Diamond Dawgs tied up the game in the fifth, after a hit by Joel Alvarez (Hainesport, NJ/Barry) right up the middle of the field scored Ryan Hernandez (Boston, MA/SUNY Albany).
Alexis Monge-Rodriguez (Pembroke Pines, FL/Barry) made his 2018 debut for the Diamond Dawgs one to remember in the sixth. Monge-Rodriguez gave Mohawk Valley the lead with an RBI double that rattled up against the left field wall and scored pinch hitter Tyler Bruno (Breinigsville, PA/Villanova). However, they would not enjoy that lead for long, as Mohammed Hussein (East Elmhurst, NY/Keystone) knocked a ball into the second-third gap and into left field to score Khalyd Cox (Palmetto, FL/Savannah State).
However, Austin Pollack (Harrison, NY/Manhattanville) would come through for Mohawk Valley in the seventh, forcing a throwing error by Hussein to score both Ryan Toohers (Florham Park, NJ/Villanova) and Alvarez.
That would be all the Mohawk Valley bullpen would need, as Zach Taglieri (Port St. Lucie, FL/The Citadel) and Alexis Calderon (Bethlehem, PA/Manhattan) only allowed one hit in the last two innings to put the Blue Sox away for good.
Marc Bisogno (Staten Island, NY/Fordham) picked up the win for Mohawk Valley (11-7). Trevor Sherwood (Batavia, NY/Monroe CC) was saddled with the loss for Utica (10-11), while Calderon picked up the save for the Diamond Dawgs.
The Diamond Dawgs will meet with the Blue Sox one more time this week at Veteran’s Memorial Park, but first they have an off day on Wednesday, their fourth in five days (both planned and rainouts). They’ll also make a short road trip on Thursday to Colburn Park to take on the Newark Pilots. Before the rematch on Friday, the Blue Sox will also have a day off, but not before a trip to the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds to face the Watertown Rapids. They will return to Murnane Field on Saturday to take on the Adirondack Trail Blazers.