MOHAWK VALLEY DIAMONDDAWGS 5, ALBANY DUTCHMEN 4

LITTLE FALLS, N.Y. — Alfredo Brito’s eighth-inning single Friday my not have been his most impressive hit but he and the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs will take its result.

Brito’s two-out roller made it about 75 feet down the first base line but it stayed fair long enough for the Marshall University first baseman to leg out an infield hit while Chris Peters crossed the plate with the go-ahead run in Mohawk Valley’s 5-4 victory over the Albany Dutchmen in front of a record crowd at Veterans Memorial Park.

Albany had tied the fame at 4 on Blake Gibbs’ two-run home run in the top of the eighth. Brad Steinbach, a two-way player at St. Bonaventure University, took the mound for the Dutchmen in the bottom of the inning and failed to retire a batter. Peters led off with a single and Dave Soltis walked on a 3-2 pitch before Albany went to its bullpen again and brought in Michael Jacobs.

Jacobs’ first opponent was designated hitter Bryce Nugent who had already homered and driven in three runs for the DiamondDawgs. Jacobs got the best of the lefty-versus-lefty match-up as Nugent hit into a double play with Peters advancing to third base. The Dutchmen intentionally walked Jonathan Ross to get to Brito, another left-handed batter.

Having thrown four pitches wide to Ross, Jacobs missed with his first two offerings to Brito and fell behind 2-0. A called strike and a foul tip leveled the count at 2-2 before Brito reached for an outside curveball and pulled it up the line. First baseman Sean Munley went to the bag and Jacobs pursued the ball, anticipating it would roll foul. The ball hugged the line, staying fair until Brito passed Jacobs and the ball; Jacobs made a move to pick up the ball and slipped, knocking across the baseline into foul territory as Brito safely reached first base.

Devin Lange (2-0) threw one pitch and induced a double play to end the eighth inning. He returned to the mound to pitch a 1-2-3 ninth and earn second consecutive relief win at home for the DiamondDawgs who have now won four consecutive games, a season-high.

Mohawk Valley took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Navarro Hall doubled and scored on a single by Nugent. Evan Tieles walked Chris Peters in the third and surrendered a two-run home run to Nugent, his third of the season, all in the last eight games.

DiamondDawgs starter Billy Martin hit one batter and walked another in the fourth before Bryson Rahier doubled to right field and drove home the first two Albany runs. The two earned runs matched Martin’s total from three previous starts.

Hall doubled again leading off the sixth, moved to third on a bunt by Peters then tagged up and scored when Rob Deveney made a sliding catch on Soltis’ line drive to right field.

Martin breezed through 7 1/3 innings, throwing 93 pitches and allowing the two runs on three hits and one walk with four strikeouts. Jake Rifkin relieved him after retiring James Armstrong to start the eighth. Jarred Jimenez greeted Rifkin with a single, his second hit of the day, and Gibbs tied the game with his home run onto the Little League field  beyond the left field fence. Deveney singled before Lange entered the game and got Rahier to hit into a double play.

The DiamondDawgs announced a crowd of 1,493, seven more than the previous record set on opening night.

Hall and Nugent each had two hits for Mohawk Valley which improved to 4-0 against the Dutchmen and moved over .500 for the first time at 11-10.

Jimenez was the only Dutchman with two hits.

The DiamondDawgs have Saturday off before traveling to Amsterdam for a 5:05 p.m. game against the Mohawks Sunday. Mohawk Valley is back home Monday to make up a game against Glens Falls at 7:05 p.m.

MOHAWK VALLEY DIAMONDDAWGS 5, ALBANY DUTCHMEN 4

Albany    000 200 020 — 4  6  1

Mohawk Valley    102 010 01x — 5  8  2

Evan Tieles, Wes Braun (6), Brad Steinbach (8), Michael Jacobs (8) and Bryson Rahier. Billy Martin, Jake Rifkin (8), Devin Lange (8) and Brian Suerdick. W — Lange 2-0. L — Steinbach 0-1. 2B — Albany, Jarred Jimenez, Rahier; Mohawk Valley, Navarro Hall 2. HR — Albany, Blake Gibbs; Mohawk Valley, Bryce Nugent. Records — Albany 4-14; Mohawk Valley 11-10. Attendance — 1,493.

Compiled From Evening Times Staff Reports