UTICA, N.Y. - The Albany Dutchmen pulled off a dominating 17-7 win over the Utica Blue Sox on Monday night. Despite the Blue Sox scoring 6 runs in the bottom of the 5th inning, they were not able to prevent the Dutchmen from extending their lead throughout the rest of the game.

The Dutchmen started the scoring off early when they scored 4 runs at the top of the 1st inning. The Dutchmen continued to extend their lead over the next two innings by tallying 5 more runs to their total, while the Blue Sox failed to gain any runs.

The Blue Sox were able to make the board in the 4th inning when Zane Harris (Wright State) hit a single RBI, allowing Cole Pursell (Willamette) to score. This play proved to provide momentum for the Blue Sox as they gained 6 runs during the bottom of the 5th, cutting the Dutchmen’s lead to 9-7. The turning point of the inning was when Zane Harris (Wright State) hit a 3 run home run, allowing Taylor Olmstead (Southern New Hampshire), Cole Pursell (Willamette), and Mitch Calandra (Eckerd) to score.

While it seemed like that 5th inning would be a turning point for the Blue Sox, the 5th inning capped their scoring for the night. The Dutchmen gained 8 more runs throughout the game, finalizing the score at 17-7 in their favor.

Mike Pepio (East Stroudsburg) earned the win for Albany with two innings of relief. Garret Keough (Holy Cross) takes the loss for the Blue Sox, allowing for nine runs and nine hits.

With the win the Dutchmen improve their record to 19-11, they take on the Glens Falls Dragons at Siena Field on Wednesday night. The Blue Sox record falls to 9-21, their next game is tomorrow night as they take on the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs on the road, first pitch is set for 6:35.