Mountaineers Falter against Upper Valley & North Adams in Double-Header
July 26, 2016 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Vermont Mountaineers News Release
MONTPELIER, Vt.- The Vermont Mountaineers suffered two tough losses on Tuesday, as they dropped a make-up game 6-3 early in the day against the Upper Valley Nighthawks, and then fell 10-0 to the North Adams SteepleCats.
In game one, the Mountaineers were neck-and-neck with their in-state rivals for much of the contest, before the Nighthawks scored three runs in the ninth inning to win it.
Brian Lau (Oceanside, N.Y./St. Josephs) gave Upper Valley the lead with one out in the top of the ninth, when he launched a solo home run to make it a 4-3 game. Two batters later, after K.J. White (Wilbraham, Mass./American International) singled, shortstop Al Molina (Freehold, N.J./Seton Hall) ripped another home run to lock the win up.
The Nighthawks got two runs in the fourth inning when James Morisano (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Louis) knocked an RBI single, driving in Joey Denison (Troy, Ala./Troy) from second. Morisano later came around to score on a triple by Charlie Concannon (West Chester, Pa./St. Josephs).
Upper Valley also got a run in the fifth when Al Molina knocked an RBI single, driving in K.J. White.
The Mountaineers got six innings out of starter Jon Stiever (Cedarburg, Wis./Indiana), who allowed three runs on seven hits. Stiever walked two and struck out four.
Vermont's offense struck first in the game when Joe Tietjen (Waxhaw, N.C./UNC Asheville) hit a sac fly, driving in Daniel Little (Nicholasville, Ky./Louisville) in the third inning.
The Mountaineers got another run in the fourth when Ryan Fineman (Westlake Village Calif./Indiana) ripped an RBI single.
Trevor Ezell (Alexander, Ark./Southeast Missouri) capped Vermont's offense in the fifth, when he walked and then came around to score on an error by the Nighthawks' third baseman. That was all the Mountaineers could muster with their bats.
Houston Mabray (Troy, Ala./Troy) started for Upper Valley, and went four innings allowing three runs on six hits. The righty didn't strike anyone out, and walked three batters.
Reliever Nick Jones (Kansas City, Mo./Kansas St.) got the win for the 'Hawks, after pitching five shutout innings in his longest appearance of the season. Jones allowed just three hits. Christian Isbell (Scottsdale, Ariz./Arizona St.) suffered the loss for Vermont, moving him to 0-1 on the year.
Game two of the doubleheader featured offensive fireworks from the North Adams SteepleCats. The 'Cats scored ten runs on 15 hits, to hand the Mountaineers their first shutout of the season.
North Adams' big inning was the top of the fifth, in which they scored four runs. C.J. Price (Naples, Fla./Cornell) got them going in the frame with a two-run single, scoring Dustin Shirley (Los Angeles, Calif./Dartmouth) and Easton Johnson (Austin, Texas/Texas Arlington). Catcher John Mazza (Lexington, Mass./Northeastern) then knocked an RBI single himself, scoring Edward Haus (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif../St Mary's). Mazza then scored on an RBI hit by Kyle Brennan (S. Setauket, NY/Buffalo).
The Mountaineers started Sean Callahan (Colchester, Vt./UMass Dartmouth), who suffered the loss after going four and one third innings, yielding six runs (five earned) on nine hits.
Starter Ben Olson (Des Moines, Iowa/Bradley) got the win for North Adams after pitching five no-hit innings. Olson improves to 4-1.
The Mountaineers offense managed just two hits in the game.
Vermont will enjoy a day-off on Wednesday, before they'll travel to Holyoke, Mass. on Thursday to face off against the Valley Blue Sox. The game can be heard on CBS Sports 1240 AM WSKI or online through The NECBL Broadcast Network.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 26, 2016
- Mainers' Bats Rock Swamp Bats - Sanford Mainers
- Swamp Bats Drop 4th Straight - Keene Swamp Bats
- Mountaineers Falter against Upper Valley & North Adams in Double-Header - Vermont Mountaineers
- Mainers' Whitman Named NECBL Pitcher of the Week - Sanford Mainers
- SteepleCats Calm the Waves - North Adams SteepleCats
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