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Cantwell, Hoffacker Guide Vermont to 4-3 Win over Blues

June 12, 2023 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Vermont Mountaineers News Release


MONTPELIER, Vt. - The Vermont Mountaineers held on for a 4-3 win over the Bristol Blues on Monday night at Montpelier Recreation Field. Luke Cantwell (Pittsburgh / Warrington, Pa.) continued his hot start with the go-ahead home run in the sixth inning. William Hoffacker (Le Moyne / Sicklerville, N.J.)

The Mountaineers improved to 4-2 on the year while the Blues dropped to 2-4. Both teams finished the 2022 season tied with the most wins in the regular season, which was a record held by the 2006 Newport Gulls.

After an inning and a half of scoreless baseball, Vermont loaded the bases with no outs in the second. Jace Jeremiah grounded into a double play, but that allowed Marshall Toole to score and give Vermont a 1-0 lead.

George Rosales (Fairleigh Dickinson / Ashburn, Va.) walked with one out, stole second, and then moved to third on a ground out. He scored on an infield single by Aaron Whitley (Rochester / Niskayuna, N.Y.), who hustled out a slow roller to shortstop. That chased Bristol starter Michael Morrissey from the game and gave Vermont a 2-0 lead.

Bristol put a pair of runners on with a pair of back-to-back one out singles by Vincent Bianchina and Gavin Noriega, giving Mountaineers starter Aidan Tucker (Tufts / Oradell, N.J.) some trouble. However, Tucker worked around the jam with a pair of runners in scoring position with a ground out to himself to end the threat.

The Mountaineers added another run in the fourth. Grant Voytovich (Bucknell / Wexford, Pa.) was hit by a pitch, before Nate Stocum (Western Carolina / Raleigh, N.C.) singled between first and second. Jeremiah dropped down a bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Evan Fox (Stony Brook / Ballston Spa, N.Y.) got the job done, lifting a sacrifice fly deep enough to left field to allow Voytovich to score.

The Blues got a run back in the fifth inning. Chaz Meyers reached second on an errant throw. He came around to score as Ryan Daniels belted a hard line drive down the right field line. However, Daniels was a little aggressive on the basepaths as he tried to stretch it into a double and was thrown out by a strong throw by Voytovich in right field. Max Moss (Clark / New York / N.Y.) got the final out of the inning with a strikeout with a runner on second.

Vermont threatened in the home half of the fifth, putting two runners in scoring position with no outs. However, Blue's third pitcher William Paoli got out of the jam, including a flyout to end the inning with the bases loaded.

Bristol took advantage in the sixth to get even. Bianchina blasted a double off the right field wall, before scoring on a hard grounder up the middle by Noriega. Reliever Patrick Gardner (Fairleigh Dickinson / Staten Island, N.Y.) got a break with Bianchina getting thrown out at third on a double steal attempt. However, a pair of wild pitches, including on ball four let Noriega to score. Pinch-hitter Skye Selinsky reached first on the play, before moving to second on a wild pitch. He was erased by a stellar pick-off move by Gardner.Hoffacker got a ground out to keep the game tied at three.

Vermont quickly got that run back to regain the lead in the home half of the sixth. With one out, Cantwell sent a blast right inside the right field foul pole to give the Mountaineers a 4-3 lead. That extended his hit streak to six games to start the year.

Hoffacker had a strong finish to earn his first win of the season, striking out seven hitters in 3.2 innings and getting a ground out with the tying run at second base to end the game.

Tucker went 4.2 innings without getting the decision. He allowed one run (unearned) on three hits and had a pair of strikeouts.

The Mountaineers hit the road for a short two-day road trip starting on Tuesday, June 13. They will travel to Alumni Field to take on longtime rival, the Keene Swampbats. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. You can follow all the action on the NECBL Broadcast Network.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 12, 2023


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