The Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs faced a big test in their constitutions over the last two nights, as they played 26 innings in Veteran’s Memorial Park over the last two days. Tonight, they would finish it up by sweeping the Adirondack Trail Blazers, 2-1 and 6-1.
Last night, Mohawk Valley played a 12-inning marathon against Elmira, which was won by the Diamond Dawgs, 7-4, on a three-run home run by Trey Stover ( Lock Haven, PA/Hartford)
Game 1 was a pitching duel for both teams, as it was Little Falls native Evan Davis (Little Falls, NY/Marist) against Trailblazer pitcher Luke Lorah (Melbourne, FL/Florida Tech). Both started off rough, giving up one run each in the first inning.
The Trail Blazers would strike first, as R.J. Devish would use his speed to reach home on a long single by Adirondack shortstop Greg Wasikowski (Mechanicsburg, PA/Bucknell)
Lorah gave up the lead on a long home run to DiamondDawg designated hitter Zach Collett (Westbrook, ME/New Haven). It is Collett’s third home run this season.
Lorah would get the loss for Adirondack, dropping his record to 0-2.
Collett’s home run in the first inning, in a bizarre coincidence, was hit in almost the exact same spot in center field that Trey Stover’s game-winning home run hit late last night against Elmira.
The DiamondDawgs would take the lead for good in the fourth as Collett would make his way home again on a long double from Jayson Sullivan.
Davis pitched a complete game for Mohawk Valley, picking up his third win of the season.
In Game Two, Mohawk Valley took the field looking a little different than they did in Game One. They wore special gray shirts with yellow ribbons to honor Amazing Gracie’s Gift, an organization for children battling cancer. Those shirts were auctioned off after the game, with all the proceeds going to Amazing Gracie’s Gift.
The DiamondDawgs struck first in the first inning, as Justin Thomas (Richboro, PA/Rider) drove home Mason Nickens (Gonzales, LA/LSU-Eunice) and Zane Smith (Ilion, NY/Bryant) home with a single to left field off of Trail Blazer starter and Mohawk Valley native Jabin Weaver (Fort Plain, NY/East Stroudsburg). Weaver had walked both Nickens and Smith, alternating outs and walks in the first.
Weaver struggled mightily for the Trail Blazers, giving up four runs, three of them earned, and only surviving two innings before being pulled for reliever Tsuyoshi Horibata (Manila, Phillipines/Binghamton). Weaver would get his first loss of the season, dropping his record to 0-1 in three appearances.
The Trail Blazers would finally strike back in the fifth as left fielder Alex Simone (North Syracuse, NY/LaRoche) hit a towering solo home run to left field, his second of the season, but that was as close as they would get, as the DiamondDawgs would score two in the sixth to extend the lead to 6-1
Godlewski would pitch a complete game for Mohawk Valley, earning himself his second win in four appearances and upping his record to 2-0.
The DiamondDawgs (9-4) hit the road on Friday to renew the “Route 5 Rivalry” against the Utica Brewers at Murnane Field. The Trail Blazers (3-9) will travel back home to the Robert S. Smith Sports Complex on Friday, as they will host the Amsterdam Mohawks in the first game of a home-and-home series.
