BATAVIA - The defending New York-Penn League champions opened the 2009 season the same way they finished the last one - with a victory.

The Batavia Muckdogs sent 10 men to the plate and scored five runs - despite getting only one hit - in the seventh inning en route to a 6-1 triumph over the Auburn Doubledays before a crowd of 1,342 Friday at Dwyer Stadium on the opening night of the season.

The game featured solid pitching on both sides until the decisive inning.

Reliever David Miller (0-1) began the inning for Auburn, but loaded the bases on walks to Ivan Castro, Beau Riportella and Devin Goodwin.

Jamie Lehman came on in relief and promptly hit D'Marcus Ingram in the arm with a pitch, forcing in Castro with the go-ahead run.

Ryan Jackson followed with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Riportella and moved Goodwin to third.

The next batter, Niko Vasquez, sent a grounder that Doubledays third baseman  Randy Schwartz bobbled.

Schwartz recovered, but his throw to first was high, allowing Goodwin to score, Ingram to go to third and Vasquez to go to second.

Xavier Scruggs - who played on Batavia's championship team last season - then blasted a two-run double over the head of Welinton Ramirez, who was playing shallow in right.

Auburn got on the board in the top of the third on Schwartz's one-out solo home run to left off Batavia starter Kevin Siegrist.

The Muckdogs got that run back in the bottom of the inning.

Jackson drew a one-out walk, Vasquez blooped a single to center and Scruggs singled to left to bring in Jackson.

Justin Edwards (1-0) allowed one hit and struck out three in three innings of shutout relief to pick up the win.

Muckdogs 6

Doubledays 1

Dish on the Doubledays

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