Bats Win, Stay Alive in Playoff Race
July 31, 2016 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Keene Swamp Bats News Release
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION - The SwampBats (19-24) offense continued to roll as they put up 8 runs on 14 hits to keep their playoff hopes alive against the Upper Valley Nighthawks (18-24), 8-5.
For the majority of the month of July, the SwampBats have had the worst offense in the NECBL but in their three wins this week Keene has scored 31 runs on 46 hits.
It was not quite a must win situation for Keene against Upper Valley but a loss would have made their journey to get into the playoffs highly improbable. The SwampBats knew where they stood and came out looking like a team that had nothing to lose.
Dom Iero (Kent St.) led off the game with a double, followed by Josh Shaw reaching base on a hit-by-pitch, and Ryan Costello (Central Connecticut St.) worked a walk to put the SwampBats in bases loaded situation with no outs in the top of the 1st.
Up 2-1 in the count against Upper Valley starter Ryan Takacs (Manhattan), Aubrey McCarty (Florida A&M) singled past the infield to bring Iero home for the first run of the game. Patrick Sullivan (Georgia) added one more in the 1st on a sacrifice fly.
The scoring for the ¬ËBats continued in the 2nd and 3rd when they would score a run in each inning on a Jamal Wade (Maryland) RBI single and a Sullivan RBI double.
Already out to 4-0 lead, Keene's offense gave starter Rob Carillo (Southern New Hampshire) plenty of wiggle room.
Through the 3rd inning, Carillo only allowed one hit and retired the Nighthawks in order in the 1st and 3rd.
The 4th inning did not go as smooth for Carillo.
The first two Upper Valley batters, Joseph Denison (Troy) and Trent Leimkuehler (St. Louis), reached base and Denison came home to score the Nighthawks' first run of the game on a James Morisano (St. Louis) RBI single.
However, the big hit came from Kevin White Jr. (American International), who hit an infield single, scoring one and another run came home on a throwing error from shortstop Josh Shaw (St. John's) to make 4-3.
Upper Valley tied the game in the 7th when an intentional walk to Dension went wrong. David Drouin's (Hartford) fourth intentional ball got past Tommy LaCongo (St. Bonaventure) and the runner at third, Brian Lau (St. Josephs), scored.
In this final week of the regular season the SwampBats have showed some fight and tonight they showed it again.
Garrett Christman's (Butler) double scored Sullivan and LaCongo reached on an error to bring home Jack Morock (Iowa Western) for the ¬ËBats to take 6-4 lead into the 9th inning.
Keene added two more runs in the top of the 9th to set the stage for Carmen Giampetruzzi (Boston Col).
Giampetruzzi allowed one run but that's all the Upper Valley would get off of him. Two of the outs were recorded via the strikeout including the final one of the game.
The win moves Keene into 5th place, just a half a game behind the Winnipesaukee Muskrats (19-23).
If the SwampBats win tomorrow, they will need the Muskrats to split their final two regular season came to qualify for a one game playoff with them. If the SwampBats lose tomorrow, they will need the Muskrats to lose both of their final regular season games to qualify for a one game playoff with them. If SwampBats win tomorrow and the Muskrats lose both of their final regular season games, the ¬ËBats will get the fourth and final playoff spot in the Northern Division.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 31, 2016
- Mainers Just Miss Finishing Comeback Bid with Ocean State - Sanford Mainers
- Mystic 3, Plymouth 2 - Mystic Schooners
- Bats Win, Stay Alive in Playoff Race - Keene Swamp Bats
- New Bedford Loses - New Bedford Bay Sox
- Blue Sox Roll Past Vermont, 3-1 - Vermont Mountaineers
- SteepleCats Sweep Season Series with Mountaineers - North Adams SteepleCats
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