By Josh McMullen – Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs
LITTLE FALLS, NY – Drama and the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs seem to go hand in hand lately.
Once again, and for the third time in four games, a Mohawk Valley player came up with a game-winning hit in the ninth. For the second time in three last-out games, it was the Oneonta Outlaws who came up on the short end on Tuesday, losing 2-1 on a Levi McAllister (/SUNY Albany) hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
The game stayed scoreless until the fifth when the Outlaws got the first run on a sacrifice fly by Matt Carrera (Mount Sinai, NY/Hudson Valley CC). That hit would score his classmate at Hudson Valley Community College, Jeremy Taggart (Levittown, NY).
It would stay that way until the final swing in the bottom of the ninth. McAllister came in to pinch-hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and streaked a ball down the left field line to score pinch-runner TJ Schmalzle (Hawley, PA/Fairfield) and Ethan Pues (Plant City, FL/Hudson Valley CC) to get the last-out win.
Matt Bruno (Rumson, NJ/George Washington) got the win for Mohawk Valley (21-15). Brian Dengler (Hobart, NY/Russell Sage) was credited with the loss for Oneonta (15-17).
Mohawk Valley will be on the road on Wednesday when they take on the Albany Baseball Club. They’ll be back at Veteran’s Memorial Park for the penultimate home game of their regular season, hosting the Amsterdam Mohawks.
Oneonta will be back at Damaschke Field on Wednesday when they host the Glens Falls Dragons. Three of their last four games – including one more game against Mohawk Valley – will be at home.
