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Vermont Lake Monsters

Connecticut Lake Monsters

August 3, 2017 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Vermont Lake Monsters News Release


BURLINGTON, VT --- In a back-and-forth contest that included two home runs for both teams, the Connecticut Tigers scored the eventual game-winning run on a throwing error in the top of the eighth inning for a 7-6 New York-Penn League victory over the Vermont Lake Monsters Wednesday night at historic Centennial Field.

The Tigers got the winning run in the eighth without the benefit of a hit as Vermont reliever Bryce Conley (0-1) began the inning with a walk and hit batter. Then as Andres Sthromes struckout for the first out of the inning, catcher Lana Akau's throw to third base went into left field on a double steal attempt by Dylan Rosa and Teddy Hoffman, allowing Rosa to score the tie-breaking run.

Earlier, Vermont had snapped a 20-inning scoreless streak in the bottom of the first as Kevin Merrell led off with a single and scored on a Greg Deichmann two-out RBI double to rightcenter. The Lake Monsters scored two more runs in the second on an RBI single by Mickey McDonald, who then scored later in the inning on an error for a 3-0 Vermont lead.

Connecticut responded with two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, including RBI singles from Colby Bortles and Reynoldo Rivera in the fifth to take a 4-3 lead. Teddy Hoffman increased the Tigers lead to two runs in the sixth with a solo home run to left, his third homer of the season.

The Lake Monster tied the game in the bottom of the sixth on a Hunter Hargrove two-run homer to left, his first hit in second game with Vermont and first professional home run after joining team from the Arizona League Athletics. Bortles gave the lead back to Connecticut with a one-out solo homer in the seventh, but Merrell answered with his first pro home run, a leadoff blast to right field leading off bottom seventh.

Bortles went 2-for-4 with a run, his first homer of the season and two RBI for the Tigers, while Garrett McCain was 3-for-5 with one run scored. Reliever Felix Viloria (1-0) tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win, while Drew Colton tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save with Connecticut (20-19).

Merrell went 2-for-5 with two runs and the solo homer, while Hargrove 2-for-3 with a walk, run, homer and 2 RBI. Will Toffey was 2-for-4 with two runs scored for Vermont (22-20), which lost its third straight game with the loss. The Lake Monsters are now 9-8 in one-run games, but have lost seven of their last eight games decided by a lone run.

Vermont, which has a one-half game lead over Connecticut, will look to stay ahead of the Tigers for first-place in the Stedler Division when the teams play the second of the three-game series at Centennial on Thursday starting at 7:05 pm.

Check out the Vermont Lake Monsters Statistics

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New York-Penn League Stories from August 3, 2017


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