POMONA, N.Y. (May 31, 2025) – The Down East Bird Dawgs fell in a high-scoring affair to the New York Boulders 15-12 on Saturday night. This marks the highest-scoring game of the Bird Dawgs season as both teams exploded early.

The Bird Dawgs propelled into the lead in the first as they launched back-to-back home runs to the short porch in right field at Clover Stadium. Jaylen Smith hit a three-run bomb with Yassel Pino and Emmanuel Tapia on base, and Joe Johnson followed with a solo shot to take a 4-0 lead.

New York answered in the first with four runs to tie it, highlighted by Jason Agresti’s two-run double and RBI singles from Alfredo Marte and Christian Ficca.

After a one-two-three top of the second, the Boulders broke it open in the second, scoring six runs on five hits and two errors to take a 10-4 lead. Marte doubled in a run, Zurbrugg added a two-RBI single, and Fritz Genther capped the rally with an RBI hit.

The Bird Dawgs inched back with two runs on three hits in the third inning. Tapia singled to score Cole Hill, and Jaylen Smith hit a deep sacrifice fly to left field that brought in Pino to cut the deficit to 10-6.

The Boulders kept rolling as Agresti launched a three-run homer in the third. Isaac Bellony added a solo shot in the fourth, and Austin Dennis followed with an RBI single to make it 15-6.

The Bird Dawgs erupted for six runs in the sixth on six hits and an error. Pino doubled in a run, Smith was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Johnson, LaPread, and Law each added RBI singles to trim the Boulders lead to 15-12.

The final three innings went scoreless as New York held on for a 15-12 win over the Bird Dawgs. The Boulders recorded 17 hits, committed two errors, and left six on base. The Bird Dawgs finished with 15 hits, two errors, and 10 runners left on.

Garrett Cooper improved to 2-0 after allowing six runs, two earned, on seven hits over five innings. Tyler Vail earned his third save with a scoreless ninth.

Nate Lamb fell to 1-1 after giving up 15 runs, 14 of them earned, across four innings.

The Bird Dawgs close May with an 8-10 record. The series is tied at one game apiece, with the finale set for Sunday, June 1 at 1 p.m. in Pomona, New York.