4-0!
Just call them the Capital City Cardiac Kids.
For the second night in a row, the Albany Dutchmen scored a run in the top of the ninth to force extra innings, and scored two extra inning runs to defeat the Watertown Rams, 5-3, at Fairgrounds Park on Sunday evening in thirteen innings. The win was the third longest game in PGCBL Dutchmen history, and moved the Dutchmen to 4-0.
The winning inning began when Cameron Miller (Baylor) doubled over the head of the left fielder. Will Miller (College of the Albemarle) came in to run for Cameron Miller. With one out in the inning, Jake Hanson (Valparaiso) lined a single to center field, which allowed Miller to score the eventual game-winning run.
However, the Dutchmen were not done yet. Josh Lee (Lipscomb) came up with another single, this one with two outs to put Albany up, 5-3.
After pitching the 12th inning, Dylan McGee (Trinity) earned the win by shutting down the Watertown lineup in the 13th, including a looking strikeout to end the game.
The Dutchmen heroics were set up in the top of the ninth inning. Trailing by a run, the inning began on a single from James Locklear (Rider), who advanced to second on a throwing error. Hanson laid down a bunt that advanced Locklear to third, and Nick Jewett (Trinity U.) narrowly missed an extra-base hit on a diving catch from Watertown first baseman Dominic Lopez (Texas A&M Corpus Christi). One strike away from defeat, a wild pitch rolled to the backstop and allowed Locklear to score, tying the game.
The Dutchmen had previously scored runs in the fourth and eighth innings, each time tying the game.
In the fourth, Hanson drove in his first run of the game on a groundout to shortstop, bringing home Cameron Miller.
In the eighth inning, the Dutchmen evened the game on an RBI single from Sean Aspinall (Azusa Pacific).
Each time the Dutchmen tied the game, the Rams would pull back ahead in the bottom half of the inning. In the fourth, Willi Martin (Mount Olive) hit a home run to left field, and in the eighth, Drew Hercik (East Stroudsburg) singled with two outs. The Rams had initially taken the lead in the bottom of the first inning on a sacrifice fly from Lopez.
Chris Amorosi (Siena) pitched the first five innings for the Dutchmen, picking up a no decision. Amorosi allowed just one earned run in his time on the mound. The Dutchmen bullpen team of Josh Ferry, Nick DiLeo, Tyler Fries, and McGee combined to strike out five Ram hitters while allowing just one run.
The Dutchmen return home to Bob Belizzi Field on Monday for a game with the Elmira Pioneers at 7:05PM. It's Kids Eat Free Night and World Cup Kickoff Night. All kids will receive a free hot dog and chips with paid admission and the night's game promotions will have a World Cup theme!
