One of the dreams of a pitcher is to pitch a no-hitter, and to do it before you’ve even left college is a dream very few have realized.
For Mohawk Valley’s Ben Moxley (Oneonta, NY/SUNY Cortland), he came within inches of that dream, as he would allow only one hit through eight innings, as the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs knocked off the Victor RailRiders, 2-0.
The Diamond Dawgs (6-5) would finally draw first blood after four scoreless innings in the bottom of the fifth, as a bloop double by Matt Pagano (Cranston, RI/Marist College) would score Matthew Johnson (Ankeny, Iowa/South Dakota State University).
They would extend their lead to two in the bottom of the seventh, as a long single to center by Troy Scocca (Syosset, NY/Fairfield University) would score Johnson. However, that was all Mohawk Valley would get, as Scocca would get caught trying to stretch that single into a double and was caught by RailRiders (3-4) center fielder Matt Fallon (Wilmette, Illinois/Black Hawk College). As it turned out, that was all the Diamond Dawgs would need.
Moxley pitched an incredible game for the Diamond Dawgs, taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning before giving up a hit to Jacob Clark (Blue Springs, Missouri/Black Hawk College), a slow roller in the infield that Thomas Walraven (Pine Bush, NY/University of New Haven) could not manage to get before Clark cruised into first base. That would be all for Moxley, as he struck out 10 before being pulled for Ryan O’Connor.
Zachary Vennaro (New Hartford, NY/Monroe CC)) would put the RailRiders (3-4) down in order in the top of the ninth to close the door for Mohawk Valley and get the save.
Moxley, in a spectacular effort, would get the win, raising his record to 2-1. Peter Lannoo (Terre Haute, Indiana/Cornell University) would get the loss in a slightly less spectacular effort, dropping his record to 0-1.
The Diamond Dawgs hope to extend their win streak to four as they go to Cantine Memorial Field to take on the Saugerties Stallions. The RailRiders will head back to Victor High School and try to end their losing streak at two with a game with the West-leading Elmira Pioneers.