The Albany Dutchmen will be hosting the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs tonight at Bob Bellizzi Field at 7:05 p.m. This game will be the first round of the PGCBL East Division Playoffs, and is a one-game playoff.
In the eight games that the Dutchmen and Diamond Dawgs have gone head-to-head in 2016, the Dutchmen have won five of them. Most of the games have been tight, low-scoring games, with the pitchers taking command. Of the eight games played, six of them have totaled eight runs or less on the scoreboard.
The Dutchmen are 4-2 in those six games.
Throughout the season, the Dutchmen have outscored the Diamond Dawgs 28-25, showing just how tight the matchups have been.
The best pitcher for the Dutchmen against Mohawk Valley has been Dylan D'Anna (Siena College). D'Anna has had his best two starts of the season against the DiamondDawgs, and in his three appearances he's racked up a pair of wins in 13.0 innings, allowing only one earned run on seven hits while striking out five.
However, it will be Gavin Wallace (Fairfield University) who will be getting the nod for the Dutchmen on the mound against the Diamond Dawgs lineup that had six players represented in the PGCBL All-Star game.
Wallace, who is 2-2 on the year in six starts, has a 2.45 ERA and has allowed 31 hits, while striking out 27 and walking 10 in 33 innings. Wallace has arguably been the Dutchmen's most consistent pitcher, having not allowed more than two earned runs in any start this season.
If they Dutchmen want to win, they'll need their bullpen to help out, because it's likely to be a close game that comes down right to the final out. There have been select relievers that have had success that are worth noting.
Jeff Rivera (University of Cumberlands) has thrown four innings this season against the DiamondDawgs, allowing only a single unearned run on a pair of hits while striking out three.
Joe Pokrentowski (College of Saint Rose) has seen plenty of action against the DiamondDawgs this season, going 8.2 innings in three seperate appearances, while collecting a win and a save. While four runs have been scored against him at home, only one of those has been earned, while he's walked and struck out six batters each.
Nate Harris (Louisiana Tech University) has only given up a single unearned run in four innings of work against Mohawk Valley this season, while striking out five and allowing only four hits.
On offense here has how each offensive player has done against Mohawk Valley so far during the 2016 season.
JJ Shimko (University of South Carolina Upstate)
12-29 (.414), 7 R, 3 BB, 2 RBI
Justin Childers (Ohio Dominican University)
11-29 (.379), 4 R, 5 RBI, 4 BB
Jon Skidmore (Dallas Baptist University)
3-16 (.188), 5 R, 6 BB
Mychael Goudreau (Azusa Pacific University)
6-24 (.250), 2 BB, 2 RBI, 3 R
Jack Gethings (Fairfield University)
4-23 (.174), 2 R, 2 BB
Cole Malloy (Butler University)
2-15 (.133), 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Kyle Skeels (Coastal Carolina University)
5-18 (.278), 7 RBI, 1 BB, 1 R
Anthony Forte (Tulane University)
2-6 (.333), 1 RBI, 2 BB
Brent Alford (Augusta University)
3-25 (.120)
Bray Curreri (College of Saint Rose)
2-8 (.250), 1 R, 2 BB, 1 RBI
John Novenche (Canisius College)
0-5
