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McAvoy tosses five strong innings as the Swamp Bats defeat Vermont 5-2

June 10, 2012 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) Keene Swamp Bats

Montpelier, VT - A two hour trip to northern Vermont provided the setting for the Swamp Bats to get back to their winning ways, defeating the Vermont Mountaineers 5-2. Though both teams struggled with their fielding throughout the game, it was the Swamp Bats who were able to limit their mistakes and walk away with the first win against western division rival Vermont this year.

Kevin McAvoy (Syracuse, N.Y.) started the game for the Swamp Bats, throwing 5 strong innings against the Mountaineers after a shaky bottom of the first. After the Mountaineers started off the inning with a double and an infield single, errors from second baseman Nelson Ward (Emerson, Ga.) and shortstop JP Sportman (Schnectady, N.Y.) allowed two runs to score. That would be all of the offense that Vermont could muster though, as they were shut out for the final 8 innings by Keene pitchers.

McAvoy finished the game as the winning pitcher after tossing five innings, giving up two runs (one earned) and striking out four batters. McAvoy left the game after the fifth inning in a 2-2 tie, but picked up the win after the Swamp Bats took the lead in the top of the sixth inning.

Alex Haines (Greensburg, Penn.) was the starter for Vermont tonight. Though still earning a quality start, Haines was not able to hold the Swamp Bats in check enough for Vermont. The final line for Haines read 6 innings pitched, three runs (2 earned), with four strikeouts and four hits.

The Swamp Bats got their offense started in the top of the third inning, when a throwing error from Vermont third baseman Rob Kelley (Aurora, Col.) on a grounder from Ward allowed Austin Wheeler (Lilburn, Ga.) to score all the way from first. This was one of three errors on the evening for Kelley.

In the top of the fifth inning, Keene would tie up the game on an RBI groundout from Ward scoring Fran Whitten (Westboro, Mass.). The Swamp Bats would take the lead the next inning on an RBI single from Dylan De La Cruz (East Lyme, Conn.), scoring Sportman. Sportman had gotten the inning started after reaching base and advancing to 2nd on another error from Mountaineers third baseman Kelley.

Keene's bullpen would keep Vermont off the boards for the rest of the game, highlighted by a five out save from Rob Rogers (Islip, N.Y.). Rogers came on with one out in the bottom of the eigth inning with the Swamp Bats up 3-2 and runners on first and third base. He would get Mountaineers second baseman Chris Cook (Annapolis, Md.) to ground out to the 6-4-3 double play and end the inning.

The Swamp Bats would add two insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning. After an RBI triple from Ryan Beal (Cottsville, N.H), Vermont's Walker Stadler (Glenville, Ill.) threw a wild pitch, which advanced Beal across the plate.

Rogers would close things out with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to win it for the Swamp Bats. With the win, Keene improved to 2-1 on the season, with Vermont dropping to 1-3.

The Swamp Bats are back in action Tuesday, June 12th against the Sanford Mainers at Alumni Field. The Sanford game is the beginning of three straight home games for the Swamp Bats.

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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 10, 2012


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