Local collegiate baseball: Rapids benefit from Mazzotta's season debut, notch second win
Jun. 4—WATERTOWN — Nick Mazzotta is making a great first impression for the Watertown Rapids.
Mazzotta and Jax Miller each recorded three hits and two RBIs the Watertown Rapids pounded out a season-high 13 hits in an 8-3 Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League victory over the Mohawk Valley DiamondDawgs on Sunday at Toyota Field at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds.
Mazzotta, an infielder/pitcher from Division I Fairleigh Dickinson University, joined the team Saturday and made his season debut Sunday, going 3-for-4 at the plate.
He also made some great plays at shortstop.
"I didn't know what to expect," Mazzotta said. "Everybody was coming through with two-strike counts and good things happened."
Cory Arthur pitched five strong innings with four strikeouts to give the Rapids (2-3) their second win of the season at home. Former Lowville standout Brett Myers drove in a run for Watertown, which rebounded after being swept 13-1 and 6-3 by the Albany Dutchmen in a Saturday doubleheader.
"This win was definitely huge coming back from those two losses," said Miller, who plays at Division II Walsh University in Ohio.
Mitch Balint doubled and drove in a run, while Jaden Ross registered two hits and an RBI for the DiamondDawgs (1-2). Colin Ruddy took the loss after yielding four runs on eight hits in four innings.
Watertown had struggled in the field early in the season with 13 errors in its first four games. However, the Rapids played an error-free game for the first time.
"Anytime you make no errors and you throw strikes, you're probably going to win the game," Rapids manager Mike Kogut said.
The Rapids struck first with a Mazzotta RBI single plating Miller. The DiamondDawgs responded with Ross slapping a run-scoring single to tie the game at 1-1, but Arthur settled in and responded with an efficient third inning.
"He looked great against the Division I players and stood in there against them," Miller said of Arthur. "He's definitely one of our best pitchers."
Watertown scored two runs each in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to give itself some separation. Miller doubled and has been off to a hot start with a .500 average.
"Jax lets the ball travel and get in deep on him, but he trusts his hands," Kogut said. "He gets the barrel on the baseball and good things happen."
Teck Nash and Jefferson Community College pitcher Kaelin Clarkson looked strong over the last four innings to give Watertown a comfortable win. Both relievers were solid in their respective season debuts.
"Everyone came in and did their jobs," Mazzotta said. "They got groundballs and weak contact to limit them to three runs."
The Rapids have today off before taking on the defending league champion and perennial power Amsterdam Mohawks at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday at Shuttleworth Park. Watertown's next home game is 6 p.m. Saturday against Utica.
