DiBenedetto Brilliant as Blue Sox Top Swamp Bats 5-1
July 22, 2014 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Valley Blue Sox News Release
HOLYOKE, MA-Called upon for his first start of the season, Joe DiBenedetto twirled seven frames of one-run baseball as the Valley Blue Sox earned their second straight win at home, topping the rival Keene Swamp Bats 5-1 on a hot night at Mackenzie Stadium on July 22.
The Blue Sox improve to 11-22 on the season.
After a scoreless first, the Blue Sox had a big second frame. Justin Hazard walked, Garrett Black singled, and Dylan Delso walked to load the bases. Then, with two outs, Storm Wilson lifted a ball to left to bring Hazard and Black home.
Though the Swamp Bats added a run in the top of the third on a sac fly, the Blue Sox would do the remainder of the scoring, getting it right back in the home half on a walk by Angelo La Bruna, who advanced to third on an error, and a sac fly by Bobby Stahel.
In the sixth, Stahel was hit by a pitch, and Garrett Black reached on a fielder's choice, scoring when Delso doubled to the gap in right.
Meanwhile, DiBenedetto was in complete command of the ball, allowing just the one run on six hits with two walks, striking out five in the win.
He handed the ball to Kyle Rasmussen for the eighth and ninth, and the sidearmer only allowed two runners to reach in his two innings of work; he was given insurance in the bottom of the eighth, as Stahel singled and stole second and then scored on a single by Delso.
Rasmussen picked up the final out of the game with a swinging third strike to pick up his first strikeout complete his line of two frames with one hit, no walks, and no runs in the save.
The Blue Sox return to action tomorrow when they head to the coast to battle the league-leading Plymouth Pilgrims at Forges Field at 6:30 p.m.
The 2014 season will represent the Blue Sox seventh season in the Pioneer Valley, playing at Mackenzie Stadium in Holyoke. The Blue Sox have been a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL; www.necbl.com) since 2008. The NECBL is funded in part by Major League Baseball and is comprised of 12 teams throughout all six New England states who recruit the elite athletes and premier pro prospects from around the world.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 22, 2014
- Mainers' Bobby Ruse strikes out 11 in 7-to-0 victory - Sanford Mainers
- DiBenedetto Brilliant as Blue Sox Top Swamp Bats 5-1 - Valley Blue Sox
- Mountaineers Suffer 12-0 Defeat - Vermont Mountaineers
- Bats Go Quiet, Keene Falls to Valley 5-1 - Keene Swamp Bats
- Ex-Swamp Bat Paulsen Makes MLB Debut - NECBL
- Mainers Split Monday double-header - Sanford Mainers
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