MOHAWK VALLEY DIAMONDDAWGS 2, ALBANY DUTCHMEN 1, five innings

ALBANY, N.Y. — The Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs climbed to the .500 mark for the first time this season with a rain-shortened 2-1 win over the Albany Dutchmen Thursday.

Inclement weather prompted the teams to cut their scheduled doubleheader down to a single game at Bleecker Stadium and the rain allowed them to play just long enough to make that game official. The DiamondDawgs scored two runs in the top of the first, Albany got one back in the bottom of the inning and the teams raced through five in 95 minutes.

Mohawk Valley took advantage of an error by pitcher Sam Jones to get its 2-0 lead. Chris Peters singled with one out and Jones made a throwing error on Dave Soltis’ comebacker to put runners at first and second. Bryce Nugent singled in the first run and Alfredo Brito added an RBI-single with two outs.

Kyle Wong led off the bottom of the first with a double, the only extra-base hit of the night and James Armstrong followed with a single in his first New York Collegiate Baseball League at-bat to drive Wong home.

After stringing together three hits in the first inning, the DiamondDawgs would get just two more against Jones (0-1). Soltis and Jonathan Ross both singled in the third inning and Mohawk Valley never mounted another scoring threat.

Left-hander Chad Gallagher (2-1) allowed one hit in each inning after the first and was credited with the DiamondDawgs’ first complete game. Gallagher struck out three batters and walked one while allowing six hits and winning his second consecutive start.

Gallagher’s was the fourth consecutive strong start for a Mohawk Valley pitcher. Gallagher, Jake Quigg, Mike Mason and Derrick Weber have combined to allow three earned runs on 16 hits in 24 innings while the DiamondDawgs have won three of their last four games.

The win, Mohawk Valley’s season-high third in a row, leveled the team’s record at 10-10 as it approaches the midpoint of the NYCBL’s 42-game schedule. The DiamondDawgs opened the season with four consecutive losses and had gotten within one game of .500 twice prior to Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Amsterdam.

Mohawk Valley has won seven of its last eight road games to offset a 3-7 record at home.
The DiamondDawgs and Dutchmen will meet again Friday in Little Falls with a postgame fireworks show planned following the 7:05 p.m. contest at Veterans Memorial Park.

MOHAWK VALLEY DIAMONDDAWGS 2, ALBANY DUTCHMEN 1, five innings

Mohawk Valley    200 00 — 2  5  0

Albany    100 00 — 1  6  1

Chad Gallagher and Bryce Nugent. Sam Jones and Dylan Swift. W — Gallagher 2-1. L — Jones 0-1. 2B — Albany, Kyle Wong. Records — Mohawk Valley 10-10; Albany 4-13. Attendance — 83.

Compiled From Evening Times Staff Reports