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NYPL Vermont Lake Monsters

Higley, Pitching Lead Lake Monsters over Connecticut 5-1

June 21, 2014 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Vermont Lake Monsters News Release


BURLINGTON, VT --- Justin Higley was 2-for-4 with 4 RBI, including a three-run homer in the bottom of the third inning, while Lee Sosa and Jose Torres combined to allow just one unearned run on four hits as the Vermont Lake Monsters defeated the Connecticut Tigers 5-1 in New York-Penn League action Saturday evening at historic Centennial Field.

Higley put the Lake Monsters ahead in the bottom of the first inning with a sacrifice fly to score Brett Vertigan, who had led off the inning with a single before moving around to third on a sacrifice bunt and Joe Bennie single. Connecticut starter Austin Pritcher recorded the first two outs in the third inning before a walk to Scott Masik, who advanced to third on a Bennie double off the leftfield fence.

That brought Higley to the plate and he connected on a 2-1 pitch from Pritcher over the rightfield fence for the three-run homer and a 4-0 Vermont lead. It was the second home run of the season for Higley, who has now hit both of the Lake Monsters home runs in nine games this season (he hit a grand slam against the Tigers last Tuesday).

That would be more than enough for Sosa (1-0), who allowed just two hits over five innings to earn the victory. He retired the first six batters he faced before allowed a walk and single to open the third inning. After a sac bunt moved the runners to second and third with one out, Sosa got out of the jam with a line drive out to Bennie at second base and a groundout. He retired the side in order in the fourth, then got out of another jam in the fifth when back-to-back walks loaded the bases with two outs before getting a groundout to end the inning.

Sosa has now allowed just three hits in nine scoreless innings of work in his two outing this season. Torres took over in the sixth did not allow a hit until a pair of Connecticut singles in the ninth inning, finishing with four scoreless innings to earn his first save. Pritcher allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits over four innings to take the loss.

The Lake Monsters added an unearned run in the fourth as Yairo Munoz reached on a two-out bunt single and advanced around to third on a throwing error before scoring on a Pritcher wild pitch. The Tigers only run of the game came in the seventh off Torres when Domingo Leyba advanced all the way to third on a leadoff throwing error by Munoz at third base and scored on a Ben Verlander RBI groundout.

With the two hits and four-RBI game, Higley is now hitting .327 with 11 RBI through nine games for the Lake Monsters. Bennie added a pair of hits for Vermont (5-4), while Verlander was 2-for-3 with the RBI groundout for Connecticut (3-5).

The Lake Monsters and Tigers will wrap up the three-game series at Centennial on Sunday starting at 5:05 pm as Vermont wraps up a seven-game homestand. It is also the first of three "Hot Dog Heavens" with 25-cent hot dogs on sale throughout the stadium courtesy of McKenzie's.

Check out the Vermont Lake Monsters Statistics



New York-Penn League Stories from June 21, 2014


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