WATERTOWN, NY- The Watertown Rams (12-9) scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to come back and beat the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs (14-6), 8-5. Jake Sale (Parkland) picked up the win for the Rams while Matt Pidich (Pitt) took the loss.

Josh Hassell (Holy Cross) pinch-hit to lead off the eighth inning and walked. After a strike out, Drew Hercik (East Stroudsburg) and Tyler Decker (Adelphi) walked to load the bases. Robbie Alessandrine (Monmouth) hit a sacrifice fly to make it a 5-4 game. Santino Alteri (Alvernia) walked to load the bases and Chris Gaetano (Monmouth) walked to bring home the tying run. Matt Diorio (Central Florida) came through in the clutch once again for Watertown, hitting a 1-2 pitch down the left field line for a 2-RBI single and giving the Rams a 7-5 lead. Gaetano came across on a wild pitch to score the fifth and final run of the inning,

Gus Craig (Columbia) got the scoring started in the first inning with an RBI single. The DiamondDawgs scored three runs in the top of the fourth to extend their lead to 4-0. Tyler Lau (Niagara) hit an RBI triple, Greg Fazio (Rider) singled in a run, and Andy Lalonde (Southern New Hampshire) singled in another.

Watertown cut the lead in half in the fifth inning on a Gaetano RBI triple to center field and a Diorio RBI ground out. Both teams scored lone runs in the sixth, Mohawk Valley’s on a wild pitch and Watertown’s on an Alessandrine RBI single.

Watertown starter Zander Clouse (Bellevue) went 6.2 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) while striking out five in his no decision. Jake Sale struck out two in a scoreless eighth to pick up the win and Jon Escobar (Holy Cross) struck out the side in the ninth to seal the victory. Mohawk Valley starter Ed Lewicki (Siena) went 5.2 innings, allowing three runs (all earned) in his no decision.

The Watertown offense was led by Gaetano who finished 2-for-4 on the night. Tyler Decker also had two hits, going 2-for-3 for the Rams. The Rams had 4 two-out RBIs in the game. Gus Craig, Jayson Sullivan (Sacred Heart) and Greg Fazio each had two hits for the DiamondDawgs.

The Rams travel to Elmira on Sunday to take on the Pioneers. First pitch at Dunn Field is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. Mohawk Valley will play host to the Utica Brewers with first pitch at Veterans Memorial Park scheduled for 5:05 p.m.