Olive Plays Hero as Season Ends in Loss

By: Tyler Lance

Dutchmen pose for some final pictures with the interns

ALBANY, N.Y.- Led by Russ Olive’s (UMass Lowell) three-run triple, the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs rallied back from a 3-1 deficit to eliminate the Albany Dutchmen, winning 4-3 and advancing to the next round of playoff play.


Albany took the two run lead into the seventh inning and handed to ball to left hander Adam Elliott (Louisville).  Elliott started by striking out Nico Ramos (Siena) but ran into trouble as Joe Engle (Columbia) hit an infield single, Alexis Monge-Rodriguez (Barry) followed with another single, and Tim Zeng (Fairfield) was hit by a pitch with a 1-2 count.  Elliott bounced back, recording a huge strikeout of Austin Pollack (Hofstra) on a full count pitch.  Olive then engaged in a long battle with Elliott, battling back from an 0-2 count to a 3-2 count with two outs.  Olive lined the next pitch to center field, where Justin Childers (Ohio Dominican) dove for the ball and missed by inches.  The bases were cleared as the ball rolled to the warning track in center field and the DiamondDawgs took a 4-3 lead.  Elliott struck out Ben Porter (Columbia) to end the inning.  


The Dutchmen turned a 1-1 game into a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning.  After Levi Abrahamson (Treasure Valley C.C.) struck out Nick Estrella (Azusa Pacific) and Nick Gallo (Oklahoma State) was thrown out at second base trying to stretch a single into a double, the Dutchmen rallied.  Brandt Holland (North Alabama) and Trace Tyre (Ole Miss) hit back to back singles.  Childers followed with a line drive to right field that dropped in to score Holland and give Albany the lead and chase Abrahamson from the game.  Chase Allen (Limestone) followed with another clutch hit, a single off of Nick Caregnato (North Carolina Central) to deliver Tyre and bring the lead to 3-1.  


Albany received another fantastic start from Greg Marino (Stony Brook).  Marino delivered six innings of one run baseball, walking four batters, but only allowing two hits and one run.  He struck out five batters and allowed one baserunner or less in five out of his six innings.

Mohawk Valley fought back from a 1-0 deficit against the stingy Marino during the fifth inning.  Clay Koniencki (Monmouth) was hit by a pitch to start the inning.  After a sacrifice bunt by Dan Deely (Sacramento State), Ramos walked and Engle delivered a single to load the bases.  Monge-Rodriguez followed with a base hit, tying the game and keeping the bases loaded.  Marino proceeded to limit the damage, as he got Zeng to pop out to left field and forced Pollack to ground out to end the inning.  


Albany struck first in the ballgame off of starting pitcher Jack Fossand (Dartmouth).  After two quick outs were recorded to start the third inning, Brad Gneiting (Rice) delivered a double to keep the innings alive.  Deely, the third baseman, made an error on Estrella’s ground ball that followed to put runners at the corners.  Gallo delivered a double to give the Dutchmen the lead and end Fossand’s game after 2.2 innings.  


With Albany trailing 4-3, the DiamondDawgs brought closer Zach Vennaro (Mount Olive) to try to record his first six out save of the season.  Vennaro delivered with a scoreless eighth inning.  In the ninth inning, Vennaro struck out Allen and got Jon Skidmore (Dallas Baptist) to ground out to start the frame.  Griffen Herrera (Azusa Pacific) fell behind 0-2 but battled back to work a walk and keep the season alive for one more batter.  Vennaro proceeded to strike out Gneiting after another long at bat to send Mohawk Valley to the second round of the playoffs.  The DiamondDawgs will play the winner of the Amsterdam Mohawks versus the Saugerties Stallions game in a best two out of three series.    



Search Archive »





Browse by Month »

April 2024
March 2024
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
January 2022
July 2021
June 2021
March 2021
May 2020
March 2020
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
November 2018
October 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
February 2017
January 2017
November 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
October 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
Ignite Business Solutions