LITTLE FALLS, NY—Yet again for the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs, it came down to a one run game.
This one, unlike the first few, however, would send the fans at Veteran’s Memorial Park home happy.
Michael Ketchmark (Dallas, TX/Dartmouth College) hit a two-run home run, but the Diamond Dawgs had to endure a four-run Albany rally in the ninth before finally knocking off the Dutchmen, 6-5.
For the Diamond Dawgs, it’s their tenth one-run game in 14 games this season. They are 4-6 in such games, and it is their second straight 6-5 game in as many nights, as they beat Amsterdam on Saturday by the same score.
For the first six innings, it would be a pitcher’s duel between Albany’s Gavin Wallace (Madison, NJ/Fairfield University) and Mohawk Valley’s David Palmer (East Islip, NY/University of New Haven). However, Ketchmark would change all that with one swing of the bat. His booming home run to deep left field would score himself and Kevin Radziewicz (Cromwell, CT/Fairfield University).
An error by Malclom Nachmanoff (Boston, MA/Stony Brook University) would score the third run for Mohawk Valley in the seventh, as he would bounce a throw off the glove of reliever Dylan D’Anna (Wappingers Falls, NY/Siena College). Andrew Turner (King of Prussia, PA/Long Island University-Brooklyn) would score all the way from second on the play. Radziewicz’s fielder’s choice would bring Mac Crispino (Avon, CT/Fairfield University) home to extend the Diamond Dawg lead to four.
Reliever Shane Reardon (Kinnelon, NJ/Southern New Hampshire University) would find himself in a bases loaded jam with only one out in the top of the eighth. Mychael Goudreau (Elk Grove, CA/Azusa Pacific University) would plate the first Albany run on a fielder’s choice that would score JJ Shimko (Jacksonville, FL/University of South Carolina-Upstate). That would be all that Reardon would give up, as the next two Dutchmen would pop out to end their half of the eighth.
Reliever Jack Owens (Scituate, RI/Bryant University) would hit Ketchmark and walk Tanner Leeknecht (Billings, MT/Treasure Valley CC) to end his night, as he was replaced by J.D. Mundt (Louisville, KY/University of Louisville). Mundt would exacerbate things further, allowing Mike Martinez (West New York, NJ/Rutgers University) to load the bases. Turner’s sacrifice fly to right field would score Leeknecht, while a fielder’s choice from Crispino would score Ketchmark.
Shimko would single home a run in the top of the ninth, scoring Jack Gethings (Wallingford, CT/Fairfield University) and chasing reliever Anthony Capo (Staten Island, NY/Long Island University-Brooklyn) from the game in favor of Nick Plachno (Bristol, CT/Central Connecticut State University). Plachno would walk the bases loaded before Kyle Skeels (Langhorne, PA/Coastal Carolina University) would hit a three- RBI double to right-center field that would score Shimko, Jon Skidmore (Dallas, TX/Dallas Baptist University) and Justin Childers (Pickerington, OH/Ohio Dominican University) to cut the lead to one. That would be all that Plachno would give up, however, as he would strike out Goudreau to end the game and earn the save.
Palmer, with six innings of solid, scoreless work, would earn the win for Mohawk Valley (7-7). Wallace, who fought valiantly in his duel with Palmer, would be saddled with the loss for Albany (9-6).
The Diamond Dawgs will go on the road on Monday to Donovan Stadium for a game with the Utica Blue Sox. The Dutchmen have an off day on Monday before heading back to Bob Bellizzi Field to face the Glens Falls Dragons.
