JOHNSTOWN – The Raiders played their home opener on Tuesday afternoon and won it in dramatic fashion. The visiting Hawks of Mohawk Valley CC led by one run going into the bottom of the seventh, but FM shortstop DaShon Boyles lined a shot to the fence, driving in two teammates and securing the 5-4 win.
The visitors won the nightcap, but the doubleheader split saw a lot of good play by the Raider Nine.
Photo: DaShon Boyles lashes the game-winning shot into the gap in left field – Taylor Vavruick is the runner on third
Game One
Christian Maldonado has started four games this season, and three of those efforts have been high-quality starts. The hard-throwing right hander was at his best on Tuesday. Maldonado struck out 15 batters while allowing only one walk.
Photo: Christian Maldonado pitching, second baseman Raymond Osterhout watches
FM scored in the first inning when Lewis Lima walked and later scored on a wild pitch.
Mohawk Valley pushed three runs across in the top of the third. FM catcher Andrew Houser answered with a home run over the center field fence in the bottom of the frame.
The Raiders tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth. Ray Osterhout stole second base. James Waters then sent a triple to the left field fence, scoring Osterhout.
Photo: Andrew Houser is greeted after his home run
The visitors took the lead again with one run in the sixth. FM entered the seventh inning trailing 4-3, but they soon set the stage for Boyles' heroics. Taylor Vavruick lined a single to left. Lima laid a perfect bunt into no man's land and was safe at first. A balk moved the FM runners to second and third. Shortstop Boyles stepped to the plate, saw a pitch he liked, and drove it to the fence in left, scoring Vavruick and Lima. Boyles' liner would have been a double, but a single was all that was needed for the win. All of the Raiders charged out to meet Boyles between second and third, and the scoreboard read "Home 5 – Visitors 4."
Photo: James Waters sends an RBI triple to the fence in left-center
MV 003 001 0 4-8-1
FM 101 010 2 5-6-4
2B- Ross, Kiesow, Fahy. 3B- Waters, Lilley. HR- Houser, Fahy
Batteries: MV – Casey, Schlesing (5) and Kiesow; FM – Maldonado and Houser
Winning Pitcher: Maldonado, Losing Pitcher: Schlesing
Game Two
Mohawk Valley led 4-0 after two innings. FM got a run back in the third when Matt Hecht lined a double down the left field line, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Ray Ousterhout's sac fly.
The visitors upped their lead to 6-1 in the fifth. FM right fielder Osterhout had another RBI in the bottom of the fifth, but that was the last FM run of the day. MV took Game Two 8-2.
MV 220 022 0 8-9-3
FM 001 010 0 2-5-4
2B- Hecht, Pelose, Ross, Thompson
Batteries: MV – Steinberg and Lee, FM – Gregware, Carmel (3) and Hecht
Winning Pitcher: Steinberg, Losing Pitcher: Gregware
Records: MV 5-10 (3-2 conference), FM 6-10 (1-1)
The Raiders and Hawks will complete their four-game series on Thursday at 2:00 at Murnane Field in Utica.
FM's next home games will be a pair with Hudson Valley on Saturday. The first pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
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