The Albany Dutchmen broke a five-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs Sunday, June 22, at Bob Bellizzi Field.
The Dutchmen (9-6) scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to beat the team that supplanted them from the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League East Division lead.
Albany fell behind 1-0 on Colin Hawk’s sacrifice fly in the top of the third inning, but the Dutchmen got that run back in the bottom of the fifth. James Locklear singled to start the frame, and he came home on Demetrius Webb’s single.
Albany took the lead one inning later. Adam Lee singled and Danny Hrbek walked to begin the bottom of the sixth. Nick Jewett’s sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position for Locklear, who drove them home with a single to left-center field for a 3-1 lead.
Mohawk Valley (11-5) got within a run of Albany on Justin Thomas’ sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth inning. However, Lee smacked a double to the top of the outfield wall and came home on Jewett’s sacrifice fly in Albany’s half of the eighth inning to give the Dutchmen an insurance run.
Spencer Hotaling earned his third win of the season for Albany. Hotaling struck out three batters and didn’t allow an earned run in six innings of work for the Dutchmen. Two relievers kept the Diamond Dawgs at bay the rest of the night.
Albany’s rough patch began Wednesday, June 18, when Watertown swept the Dutchmen in a doubleheader at Bellizzi Field. Amsterdam defeated Albany 11-6 Thursday, June 19, and the Dutchmen dropped road games at Newark Friday, June 20, and Glens Falls Saturday, June 21.
Watertown defeated Albany 10-2 and 4-1 in last Wednesday’s doubleheader. The Rams scored all 10 of their runs in the opener during the sixth and seventh innings, and they used a pair of second-inning runs in the nightcap to take the lead for good.
Amsterdam didn’t give Albany a chance to get into last Thursday’s game at Bellizzi Field. The Mohawks scored three runs in the first inning and two more in the second inning on their way to a 7-0 lead. Albany closed the deficit to three runs before Amsterdam pulled away again.
Newark used a three-run rally in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead, and the Pilots never looked back in beating Albany 9-2 last Friday. Then, Glens Falls shut down the Dutchmen 6-0 Saturday at East Field to send Albany into third place in the division.
Albany got its first day off in more than one week Monday, June 23. The Dutchmen visit Utica Tuesday, June 24, before returning to Bellizzi Field Wednesday, June 24, to face Amsterdam.