Dutchmen players celebrate after the walk-off victory over the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs
ALBANY, N.Y.- Lucas Dunn (Louisville) worked a walk-off bases loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth inning to break what was a tie game since the fourth inning as the Albany Dutchmen (5-2) defeated the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs (5-3), 2-1, in PGCBL action on Sunday.
Dunn finished 1-for-4 but factored in on both of the Dutchmen runs. Seven other Albany hitters pieced together the remaining seven hits on the evening.
Matt Pierce (Siena) made his second start of the season for the Dutchmen and picked up where he left off. The righty went six innings allowing a run on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
DiamondDawgs starter Sam Beck (Skidmore) was also impressive in the no-decision. He allowed a run on just two hits in six innings of work. He surrendered two walks and had two strikeouts.
The DiamondDawgs took the lead in the second after Jake Barbiere (Rider) reached on a lead-off walk and moved to third on a groundout and a wild pitch before Drew Fureno (Le Moyne) singled him home.
The Dutchmen tied it in the fourth inning after Dunn hit a lead-off single and later came around when Cameron Masterman (Louisville) hit an RBI groundout.
Dutchmen pitchers avoided trouble in the seventh, eighth, and ninth despite multiple runners reaching base in each inning. In the seventh, the DiamondDawgs loaded the bases with nobody out before James Rubino (HVCC) got a strikeout and two fly outs to avoid trouble.
In the eighth, Mohawk Valley had runners on first and second with one out. Dalton Harvey (Illinois State) escaped by inducing a fly out and retired the side with a strikeout. The DiamondDawgs threatened once again in the ninth inning by loading the bases with one out. Ryan Toohers (Villanova) hit a fly ball to center was not far enough to score the run, and Barbiere hit a pop up to end the frame.
Ubaldo Lopez (Dartmouth) laced a single to right to open the bottom of the ninth and moved to second on a Cole McNamee (Wake Forest) sacrifice bunt. Jerry Huntzinger (Seton Hall) was hit by a pitch and Brandon Seltzer (Palm Beach Atlantic) hit a single to load the bases. After a fielders choice, Dunn worked a full count with a pair of two-strike foul balls before taking ball four for the game winner.
Joseph Castellanos (Unas Lowell) finished 2-for-5 for Mohawk Valley with a double, while Austin Pollack (Manhattanville) was 2-for-4. The DiamondDawgs left 13 runners on base.
The Dutchmen will be off on Monday before traveling to Utica on Monday for a 6:35 start against the Blue Sox. Albany will then play in an exhibition game against the Tri-City ValleyCats at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium Wednesday morning at 10:00 before playing at home at 5:05 against the Newark Pilots for Nick Night.
The DiamondDawgs return home on Monday to host Elmira at 6:45.
