Dawgs Run Rules Oneonta

By JOSH MCMULLEN
LITTLE FALLS

The bags were packed for the Oneonta Outlaws in the third inning of their first-round matchup with the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs. It was just a matter of how long they could hold out before the runs became too much.

Brody Rasmussen and Ryan Frontera both drove in three runs, and Rasmussen punctuated his with a home run as the Diamond Dawgs eliminated the Outlaws in eight innings, 12-2.

Mohawk Valley got on the board first, as Frontera (Red Bank, NJ/Seton Hall) continued his run from Saturday night, in which he drove in six runs. This time, though, he only drove in a run, bringing Cristino Tufano (Babylon, NY/George Washington) in from second on a bouncing ball into left field.

Frontera—who picked up two in the inning—Brody Rasmussen (Meridian, ID/Maine), Bryce Phelps (Denver, IA/Wagner) and Justin Hurd (Warwick, NY/SUNY Albany) got RBIs in the third to sextuple the Mohawk Valley lead. That 10-batter third knocked out Oneonta starter Daniel Mateffy (Philadelphia, PA/Marist) after just 2-2/3 innings.

The Outlaws got one back in the fourth on a fielder’s choice by Connor Waiting (Seaford, NY/Hudson Valley CC). That slow bouncer to the shortstop allowed Colton Harrison (Lafayette, LA/New Orleans) to jog in from third base.

Three straight singles started the Diamond Dawgs’ half of the fourth off with a bang, and Rasmussen made the Outlaws pay, looping a ball into left field to score Diego Tavarez (Spotswood, NJ/Wagner). Tufano would come home soon after on a pickoff play that went wrong for Oneonta.

Oneonta tacked on another run in the fifth on a double steal that turned into a throwing error. That error allowed Jack Bateman (Media, PA/Holy Cross) to come home and cut the lead to six. 

A double by Ethan Pues (Plant City, FL/Hudson Valley CC) and two singles by Tufano and Tavarez allowed Mohawk Valley to grab a pair of runs in the fifth. The score would remain the same until the eighth, when a home run by Rasmussen and an RBI single by Phelps ended the game early.

Bryan Rios (Newark, NJ/Felician) got the win for Mohawk Valley. Mateffy was saddled with the loss for Oneonta, who finish their season with six straight losses.