Keene breaks five game losing streak on walk-off home run from Grant Kay
Published on July 24, 2012 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Keene Swamp Bats News Release
Keene N.H. - After The Steeplecats tied the game at five in the top of the ninth inning, NECBL player of the week Grant Kay (Iowa Western Community College) led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a walk-off home run to left field to earn the Swamp Bats a 6-5 win.
After two hitless innings to begin the night, North Adams made their mark on the scoreboard in the top of the third inning. Adrian English (Barry) led off with a walk against Keene starter, Joe Pistorese (Washington St.). Shane O'Connell (Rhode Island) followed with a two-run home run. The Steeplecats repeated this pattern with the next two batters, as Jeff Roy (Rhode Island) walked and Shane Klemcke (Texas Pan American) homered. Pistorese forced two outs, but was unable to close the inning out. He left the game going 2.2 innings, giving up four runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts. David Mahoney (University of Connecticut) came in for relief with runners on first and third and proceeded to strike out Will Klausing (Texas Pan American) to finish the inning.
Down by four, Keene came back in the fourth inning, scoring five runs to pull ahead of North Adams. The Swamp Bats rallied with two outs, scoring on an RBI single from Brett Barrett (Southern Maine) and an RBI infield single by Dylan Moore (Cypress Community College). With Moore on first and Barrett on second, Nelson Ward (Georgia) stepped up and slammed a three-run home run over the centerfield fence to put Keene up 5-4. It is the third time this summer that Ward has gone deep.
North Adams threatened again in the top of the sixth inning, putting runners on second and third with one out against Mahoney. Coach Testo pulled Mahoney and replaced him with Joshua Ingham (Central Connecticut St.), a recent addition to the Swamp Bats. Ingham walked the first batter he faced, but managed to get out of the inning without giving up any runs, forcing O'Connell into a 6-4-3 double play. Ingham continued to pitch three strong innings for Keene, allowing only one run, which came in the top of the ninth.
The game remained 5-4 entering the ninth. The Steeplecats scored the tying run on a throwing error from Kay at third base. Rob Rogers (Keystone College) came in for relief after Ingham gave up a single to English with one out. Julian Santos (Miami) pinch-ran for English, advancing to second on a wild pitch and to third on a ground out. With two outs, Rogers forced a hard grounder to Kay, who threw the ball past Jared Walsh (Georgia) at first, allowing the runner to score.
Kay redeemed himself in the bottom of the ninth inning, when, with the count 0-1, he ripped a home run to left field, his eighth of the season. The walk-off win for Keene is its third of the season.
Rogers earns the win and Tom Bamman (Dowling) earns the loss. The Swamp Bats improve to 24-11 and the Steeplecats drop to 19-17. With the Danbury Westerners winning tonight as well, the magic number for the Swamp Bats to clinch the division is now at four.
Keene is back in action Wednesday night against the Mystic Schooners. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30pm.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 24, 2012
- Keene breaks five game losing streak on walk-off home run from Grant Kay - Keene Swamp Bats
- Vermont's Five Game Win Streak Snapped in 17-7 Loss - Vermont Mountaineers
- 'Cats Rally to Tie Late, But Swamp Bats Walk off with 6-5 Win - North Adams SteepleCats
- Newport Gulls Fall to Seventh in Latest Perfect Game USA Top 30 Rankings - Newport Gulls
- Former 'Cat, Oakland A's Evan Scribner Riding High in 2012 - North Adams SteepleCats
- Jim Kaat to Visit Mountaineers - Vermont Mountaineers
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