By Josh McMullen – Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs
LITTLE FALLS, NY – The win almost didn’t happen on Friday night.
The Utica Blue Sox were about to protest a count that would have put them on base. The game was allowed to continue, but the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs wanted to make sure any protest was squashed. They did with a game-winning hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded to defeat Utica, 3-2 in ten innings.
Ethan Pues (Plant City, FL/Hudson Valley CC) got the scoring going in the second, hitting a hot grounder that squirted out to left field. That hit scored Major Pellien (San Marcos, TX/Cisco CC) and Luke Nomura (Maplewood, NJ/Fairfield).
The score would stay that way until the ninth when Utica tied the game up on an RBI single by Wyatt Hunt (Spring Lake, NJ/Monmouth) and a walk to Mike Benedetto (Barneveld, NY/College of St. Rose). But it was Seton Hall’s Ryan Frontera (Middletown, NJ) who would come in the clutch for Mohawk Valley. After Utica walked the bases loaded on an intentional walk, Frontera took a ball in the side to bring home the winning run.
Tyler Hodella (Miller Place, NY/Bridgeport got the win for Mohawk Valley (20-14-3). Luke Baker (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Spring Hill) was credited with the loss for Utica (19-16-1).
These two teams will meet again on Saturday, this time at Murnane Field in Utica to finish up their season series.
Photos by Dave Warner
