Schooners and SwampBats Dominate as League Leading Sanford Falls to the Gulls Monday Night

Keene Swamp Bats vs. North Adams Steeplecats

Final Score: Swamp Bats 10, Steeplecats 1

Keene, NH - The Keene Swamp Bats pull away late for a 10-1 victory over the North Adams Steeplecats on Monday night. The Swamp Bats scored all of their runs in their last three go-arounds at the plate. 

After leaving two runners on base in the fourth inning, North Adams got the scoring started with an RBI single from Evan Meier (Mt. Saint Mary's). However, Keene swung back in the bottom of the sixth. A Chris Polemani (UConn) two-run single gave the Bats a 2-1 lead. A balk brought in a third run later in the inning. 

Griffin Enis (Virginia) added a pair of runs with a two-run single in the seventh inning. However, the dagger in the hearts of the Cats came in the eighth inning, via a grand slam from Jackson Marshall (UConn). A wild pitch brought in the 10th and final run. 

Sean Finn (St. Joseph's) got the win with one shutout inning out of the bullpen. Jakob Foster (Portal) took the loss, allowing three runs and giving up the lead in his 1.1 innings out of the pen. Both teams will stay in New Hampshire as they square off against each other on Tuesday. 

Box Score

Valley Blue Sox vs. Upper Valley Nighthawks

Final Score: Nighthawks 3, Blue Sox 0

Holyoke, MA - The Upper Valley Nighthawks blank the Valley Blue Sox 3-0 on Monday evening. 

A William Hurt (Virginia Tech) sac fly gave Upper Valley a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The next inning, an error from Blue Sox first baseman Chris Carson (Stony Brook) plated a pair of runs for the Nighthawks. 

Throughout the game, Valley kept leaving runners on base. However, they had the bases loaded with one out, and the game-winning run at the plate. However, Julian Rondon (Liberty) struck out the next two batters to complete the shutout. 

Vincent Luther (Binghamton) took the win with 2.2 innings of scoreless work out of the bullpen. Mitchel Brown (Nichols) took the loss, allowing three runs while pitching 5.1 innings. Rondon got the save.

The Nighthawks get to head back home for a matchup with the Newport Gulls on Tuesday. The Blue Sox head to Montpelier Recreation Field to take on the Vermont Mountaineers. 

Box Score

Newport Gulls vs Sanford Mainers 

Final Score: Gulls 3, Mainers 2

Newport, RI- The Gulls held off a late Sanford rally to earn a 3-2 victory over the Mainers on Monday night at Cardinals Field. Newport's pitching staff combined for 20 strikeouts, while timely offense in the middle innings proved to be the difference in a tightly contested NECBL matchup. 

Newport starter Maddox Miller (Mississippi St) set the tone early, striking out 10 over four scoreless innings while allowing just two hits. Parker Jennings (Oklahoma St) picked up the win in relief despite surrendering both Sanford runs, finishing with five strikeouts in 2.2 innings. Braden Booth (Mississippi St) slammed the door with 2.1 scoreless innings and five strikeouts to record the save. At the plate, Brandon Larson (USC) and Tristian Salinas (U New Brunswick) each scored a run, while Caeden Cloud (U of Kentucky) delivered the game's biggest hit, a two-run RBI groundout in the sixth inning. Adam Broski (Michigan St) also drove in a run after being hit by a pitch in the fifth. 

Sanford received a strong start from Charlie Hale (Connecticut), who tossed four scoreless innings with five strikeouts while allowing only two hits. Kevin Brown (Wesleyan) kept the Mainers within striking distance with two scoreless innings of relief, but Ben Griffith (Binghampton) and Jasper Nadel (George Washington) combined to allow all three Newport runs. Offensively, Steven Kraus (Bringhampton) drove in both Sanford runs, while Jack Tate (St Johns) collected two hits. Albert De La Rosa (UMaine), Troy Carpenter (UMaine), Brennan Staubley (Southern Connecticut), Brooks Perez (Duke), and pinch-hitter Sam Miller (Binghampton) each added a hit for the Mainers. 

Sanford threatened late after cutting the deficit to one in the seventh, but Booth shut the door by retiring the final seven outs to preserve Newport's 3-2 win. The victory extended the Gulls' strong stretch as they continued to climb the NECBL standings behind another dominant pitching performance. Newport Gulls will face the Upper Valley Nighthawks Tuesday night. The Sanford Mainers will return home to play against the Bristol Blues Tuesday afternoon. 

Box Score 

Mystic Schooners vs Vermont Mountaineers

Final Score: Schooners 17, Mountaineers 6

Montpelier, VT- A nine run top of the fifth helped lead the Schooners to a dominant win Monday night. 

The Schooners came alive at the plate today, scoring seventeen runs off of thirteen hits in tonight's game. Casey Wensley (Bryant) led the way at the plate, going three for seven with six RBI including a two run homerun and a bases clearing three RBI double both in the top of the fifth. Jamie Zee (Notre Dame) added on with a three run blast in the top of the fifth as well. Zee went two for six at the plate today with four RBI. Jack Harley (Stetson) also had a day at the plate, going three for six, scoring two runs as well as batting one in. Christian Butera (Brown) and Bryce Detwiler (UConn) had the other two RBIs for the Schooners. 

Connor Shaw (SDSU) earned his first win of the season, going two innings allowing only one earned run on two hits with three strikeouts. Braden Leed (Penn State) was also strong out of the bullpen for the Schooners, going one inning allowing no runs and only one hit with 2 strike outs. 

David Alvarez (Eastern Kentucky) and Bryce Rudisill (Mt. Saint Mary's) both had a solo home run for the Mountaineers, but the offense overall couldn't make up for the mistakes defensively. The defense hurt the Mountaineers tonight, with seven errors being a tough hole to home out of. Despite the issues defensively, Nick Kelly (Fairfield) had a strong relief appearance, going one inning allowing no hits and no runs. 

The Mountaineers look to bounce back as they host the Valley Blue Sox at Montpelier Recreation Field tomorrow, while the Schooners have the day off as they prepare to host the Ocean State Waves at home on Wednesday at Fitch High School. 

Box Score

Martha's Vineyard Sharks vs Ocean State Waves

Final Score: Sharks 6, Waves 4

Oak Bluffs, MA – The Martha's Vineyard Sharks rallied late to secure a 6-4 victory over the Ocean State Waves at The Shark Tank on Monday night. 

Ocean State struck first when Justin Hackett (Bryant) tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the second inning. The Waves extended their lead in the third on a sacrifice fly from Max Farrell (San Diego State) that scored Owen Morgan (University of Oregon). 

The Sharks answered in the bottom of the frame, scoring two runs highlighted by an RBI single from Ryan Thompson (URI). 

Ocean State regained control when Farrell delivered an RBI single in the fifth, followed by a solo home run from Morgan in the sixth. However, the game turned in the bottom of the eighth. 

The Sharks capitalized on five walks and a wild pitch, scoring four runs to surge ahead. Jackson Taylor (Clemson), Jailen Watkins (Miami), and James McGee (Kennesaw State) each drew bases-loaded walks before a final run scored on a wild pitch. 

The Sharks will hope to add their sixth straight win against the Danbury Westerners at Rogers Park tomorrow night. The Waves have an off day before trying to break their six-game losing streak against the Mystic Schooners on Wednesday night. 

Box Score

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