Glens Falls, N.Y.-The Glens Falls Dragons (20-21) and Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs (23-17) enteredTuesday night's game at East Field separated by two and a half games in the battle for the second place spot in the PGCBL East. The teams engaged in a see-saw battle, with the DiamondDawgs scoring four in the fifth to erase a 6-3 deficit, and winning it 8-7 on a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
Glens Falls struck early in this one. Danny Oliveri (Triton College) led off the game with a single to center off of Mohawk Valley starter Payton Caddou (Louisiana-Monroe). Ryan Hooper (Cal-Davis) continued right where he left off in the PGCBL All-Star game last night by nailing a double to right field placing runners on second and third. Oliveri then scored on RBI Sac fly by Jake Veith (Tacoma CC) to make it 1-0. The Dragons went up by two runs after Oscar Rodriguez reached on a fielding error by the Mohawks, plating Hooper.
The Mohawks would answer in the top of the second. Troy Scocca (Fairfield) and Sam Machonis (Florida Southern) led off the frame with back to back singles. After one was out, a single by Colin Hawk (University of Indianapolis) scored Scocca to cut the lead to 2-1. Glens Falls starter Matt Sturchio (Western Illinois) then walked in a pair of runs to give Mohawk Valley the lead for the first time on the night.
In the bottom of the fourth, Glens Falls loaded the bases with no one out. Rich Guglielmi (Saginaw Valley State) singled, as did Bryce Aldrich (University of Indianapolis). Next, Oliveri was hit by a pitch. Mark Powell (Bucknell) then singled to plate Guglielmi and Aldrich to give the Dragons the lead back at 4-3. The Dragons continued the momentum when Hooper executed a squeeze bunt to bring in Oliveri to make it 5-3. The Dragons reloaded the bases after Powell and Hooper pulled off a double steal and Oscar Rodriguez (St. Thomas) walked. Colby Stratten (Indiana) picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice to bring in Powell for the fourth Dragon's run of the frame.
The scoring barrage continued in the sixth. Ryan Stekl (Canisius) led off for the DiamondDawgs with a double, and Scocca added a double of his own to plate Stekl. RBIs from Machonis and Chris Rave (Herkimer CC) knotted the game at six. Mohawk Valley added a run in the seventh when Matt Johnson drew a two out walk off of Glens Falls reliever Matt Stojkov (Northwood) and scored on a double by Stekl to lead 7-6.
In the bottom of the seventh, Powell singled and scored on a Veith double to again tie the game, this time at 7.
The DiamondDawgs went back in front in the top of the ninth as Thomas Walraven (University of New Haven) singled and scored what turned out to be the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Andrew Turner (Long Island-Brooklyn).
Anthony Herrera (Louisiana-Monroe) earned the win for Mohawk Valley, with Zachary Vennaro (Monroe CC) getting the save. Brennan Price ( suffered the loss for Glens Falls.
Scocca was 2 for 5 for Mohawk Valley. Machonis was 2 for 4.
Guglielmi was 3 for 4 for Glens Falls, while Powell and Aldridge added a pair of hits.
