Chris Amorosi (Siena) throws a pitch (photo by: Shawn Stannard)
The Albany Dutchmen rallied from a 3-0 deficit, scoring eleven unanswered runs to claim an 12-5 victory over the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs on Sunday evening at Bob Bellizzi Field in the state’s capital. The win was the third straight win for the Dutchmen, and moved Albany within a half game of third place in the East Division of the PGCBL.
The DiamondDawgs scored first, plating two runs in the top of the second inning. Ryan Stekl (Canisius) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. With one out in the frame, Colin Hawk (Indianapolis) drilled a double to left field, over the head of Albany’s outfielder. The two-bagger scored Stekl from first base to put Mohawk Valley on the board. Hawk then scored during the next at-bat, as he stole third base and took home on an errant throw.
Mohawk Valley added to their lead in the fourth inning, scoring a run on a pair of doubles in the top of the fourth inning. Stekl started the inning with a double, reaching base for the second time. After a groundout and an outstanding diving catch from Patrick Hisle (Maryland), Anthony Capo (LIU-Brooklyn) gave the DiamondDawgs a 3-0 lead with a double of his own. Another solid grab in the outfield from Hisle in the outfield brought the inning to a close.
The Dutchmen surged ahead in the bottom of the fifth with six runs, chasing Mohawk Valley starter Marc Iseneker from the game. Albany started the inning with walks drawn by Jack Weiller (Virginia) and Grayson Lewis (Rice), and a sacrifice bunt from Hunter Boose (Georgia Regents) moved the runners to second and third. Defensive replacement Eric Mueller (UAlbany) dropped a double down the right field line, scoring both runners to pull the Dutchmen within one run. The game was then tied on a bouncing ball from Michael Fitzsimmons (Ole Miss) that eluded Mohawk Valley’s third baseman and shortstop.
After a single from Michael Bollmer (Louisville), the Dutchmen took the lead for good when Sean Aspinall (Azusa Pacific) drilled a three-run homer well over the left field wall at Bellizzi Field. Aspinall’s second round-tripper of the year gave Albany a 6-3 lead.
The fun continued for the Dutchmen in the sixth inning, as the home team added another five runs. Boose led off the inning with a double, and advanced to third on an infield single from Mueller. The lead extended to 8-3 when Fitzsimmons drilled a double into the left field gap to score Boose and Mueller. After the next two hitters were retired, the Dutchmen drew three consecutive walks, and a wild pitch allowed Fitzsimmons to score. With the bases loaded, Lewis was hit by a pitch, allowing DiCaprio to score. Another wild pitch allowed Hisle to cross the plate, recording the 11th consecutive run for the Dutchmen.
The lead for the Dutchmen was trimmed in the seventh inning, as Mohawk Valley scored two runs. An RBI double from Thomas Walraven (New Haven) and a run-scoring groundout by Trey Scocca (Fairfield) made the score 11-5.
Albany ended/continued their scoring in the seventh inning, as a double from Bollmer was followed by an Aspinall triple to drive in the 12th Dutchmen run of the game. Aspinall finished the game with four runs batted in, bringing his total to a team-high 17.
Left-hander Chris Amorosi (Siena) earned his first victory of the season for Albany, while Iseneker took the loss. Relievers Taylor Hoesen (Trinity U.) and Jesse Cooper (Seton Hill) closed out the game for the victorious Dutchmen.
The Dutchmen will play a home-and-home series with Amsterdam Mohawks, beginning Monday in Albany. Monday is Local Neighborhood Night at the ballpark, where local businesses such as Quincy Station will be present for the night. The 7:05 game will also feature the team’s Kids Eat Free with Paid Admission promotion.
