By Jon Sargalis
Box Score Photos
An early pitchers’ duel turned into a slugfest as the Mohawks defeated the Glens Falls Dragons 8-2 on the road Friday night.
The Mohawks looked to be off to a hot start as Dakota Duffalo (Utah) and Bryce Hubbard (Mississippi State) each had run scoring singles in the first inning to put the Mohawks in front 2-0. Then the pitching took over.
The score remained 2-0 until the eighth inning as Riley Orr (Castleton) went 5 innings for the Dragons allowing just those 2 first inning runs on 4 hits with 1 walk and 7 strikeouts. Jesse Kuzmich (St. Rose) came on in relief and gave up 1 hit in 2 innings with 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. For the Mohawks Dylan Reid (Brown) got the start and struck out 7 over 4 scoreless innings with 2 hits and no walks. Von Baker (Cornell) pitched the next two innings allowing 3 hits and 1 walk with 3 strikeouts.
In total there were 30 strikeouts in the game: 16 by Mohawks pitching and 14 by the Dragons.
Then came the eighth inning and everything changed. Patrick Reilly (Central Connecticut) entered the game for the Dragons and loaded the bases with a hit and 2 walks. Zach Eldred (Brockport) stepped in and his 3rd hit of the game was a towering grand slam down the right field line to make it 6-0. The Dragons then turned to Billy Canale (Le Moyne) who walked Gage Miller (Bishop State) and then gave up a 2-run home run to left by Luke Longo (NJIT) making it 8-0 .
The Dragons finally got on the board in the bottom of the eighth as the Mohawks 14.2 inning scoreless streak to start the season came to an end. A wild pitch by Colin Maloney (Rhode Island) allowed Zander Teator (Babson) to score and then Odilio Cespedes (Bryand and Stratton) drove in Arit Moreno (Atlantis) with a single making it 8-2.
Maximilian Ramirez (Niagara) closed off the game with a perfect ninth and picked up 2 strikeouts. Dylan Reid picked up the win improving to 1-0 for the 2-0 Mohawks, while Riley Orr took the loss dropping to 0-1 for the 0-1 Glens Falls Dragons.
The Mohawks are back in action Saturday night as they host the Saugerties Stallions for Fireworks Night sponsored by McDonald’s at 6:35.
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