LITTLE FALLS, NY— It’s been a while since the Amsterdam Mohawks defeated their archrival in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs. As a matter of fact, you have to look back to last season’s Eastern Division Championship Series, ten months prior.
Tuesday night, the Diamond Dawgs extended the Amsterdam drought by one more day.
Michael Ketchmark (Dallas, TX/Dartmouth College) broke the game open with a solo home run, and Joe DeSarro (Frankfort, NY/Herkimer CC) nearly took it the rest of the way, leading Mohawk Valley to their third straight win over the Mohawks, a 5-3 decision in Little Falls.
Michael Conti (Glastonbury, CT/Fairfield University) would score the first run for Mohawk Valley, as he would hit the third of three straight singles in the bottom of the first to score Drew Arciuolo (Milford, CT/Fairfield University) and put the Diamond Dawgs ahead early.
Mohawks starting pitcher Cameron Enck (Strasburg, PA/University of Maryland) would feel even more pain in the bottom of the second inning, as Ketchmark would deposit a ball in the left-center field bleachers to put Mohawk Valley up 2-0. Enck would find himself in a second-and-third jam before putting Mac Crispino (Avon, CT/Fairfield University) out to end the second inning.
Mike Martinez would extend the Diamond Dawgs’ lead to three in the bottom of the fifth, as his booming triple to right would score Kevin Radziewicz (Cromwell, CT/Fairfield University).
Brett Kinneman (York, PA/North Carolina State University) started off the sixth inning for the Mohawks with a triple off the right field wall. However, his efforts would be wasted, as DeSarro would put the next three Amsterdam batters out to end the threat.
The Diamond Dawgs would score two runs off of two straight RBIs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Crispino would hit a grounder that would get away from the Amsterdam second baseman and score Arciuolo. Radziewicz would get into the scoring party himself, hitting his own RBI single to score Conti.
The Mohawks would get those two runs right back in the top of the seventh, however. Dan Maynard (Burnt Hills, NY/University of Maryland) would blast a double to right-center field that would score Joe Genord (Lake Worth, FL/University of South Florida). The Mohawks were not done in the inning, as Chris Givin (Castle Rock, CO/Xavier University) would sacrifice himself to score Chris LaVorgna (North Haven, CT/Franklin Pierce University).
DeSarro would find himself in a second-and-third jam in the ninth inning before being replaced by Zachary Vennaro (New Hartford, NY/Monroe CC). Vennaro would get the first two outs before giving up a run on a wild pitch that would score Genord. Vennaro would calm down after that, however, as he would force Tyler Frank (Loxatachee, FL/Florida Atlantic University) to pop out to end the game.
With the win, the Diamond Dawgs see their league-best winning streak extended to five, while the Mohawks’ two-game winning streak is snapped.
Mohawk Valley native Vennaro picked up the save for Mohawk Valley, while DeSarro would pick up the win. Enck would be saddled with the loss for Amsterdam.
The Mohawks look to start a new streak on Thursday as they head back to Shuttleworth Park to face off against the Glens Falls Dragons. The Diamond Dawgs will host an exhibition game Thursday as the Cages Baseball Club of Massachusetts will pay a visit to Veterans Memorial Park.
