Iero comes through again, Swamp Bats 3-0 after defensive battle
June 12, 2016 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Keene Swamp Bats News Release
Swamp Bats second baseman Dom Iero has made it a habit of coming through big late in a game. After hitting a walk-off single against North Adams Saturday, the Kent State product scored Keene's only run in a 1-0 victory over the Valley Blue Sox at Mackenzie Stadium on Sunday in Holyoke, MA.
The win puts the Swamp Bats at 3-0, making them the only undefeated team in the NECBL.
Iero, who led off for the third straight game, started the top of the 9th inning with a lead-off infield single to Valley second baseman Kyle Mottice. In the next at-bat, Keene left-fielder Parker Sniatynski hit a 1-3 sac bunt to advance Iero to second.
The deadly blow for Valley came when right-handed pitcher Tyler Smith's 0-1 pitch to Keene's Ryan Costello was swung on and missed. Iero ran on the pitch, and after Costello's swing, Blue Sox catcher Kipp Moore threw over to third in attempt to pick off Iero. Moore's throw was errant, as the ball rolled past third into left field, allowing Iero to score the game's only run.
Smith took his first loss of the season on the mound. The Blue Sox fall to 1-2 on the season, losing to the Swamp Bats for the second time in four days.
The Swamp Bats notched only three hits in the game, but the pitching staff proved to be dominant yet again. The starting right-hander Ryan Avidano from Georgia tossed six strikeouts, while giving up only three hits and issuing no walks. Reliever Taylor Goshem, a righty from Iowa Western CC, picked up the win on the mound, tossing three strikeouts to only one walk in two innings of work. The Swamp Bats pitchers combined for an impressive 10 strikeouts-to-two walks, giving up only four hits.
Southern New Hampshire University's Ivon Clough picked up his second save of the year after tossing a hitless 9th inning.
The Blue Sox outhit the Swamp Bats 4-3, but stranded eight runners on base. Valley had runners on the corners with only one out in the bottom of the 4th, but third baseman Braxton Morris grounded out to a 6-4-3 double play to retire the side.
The Swamp Bats are back in action Tuesday, taking on the Danbury Westerners at Alumni Field in Keene. First pitch is at 6:30, and the game can be heard on 104.1 FM and AM 1220 ESPN Keene. The Swamp Bats remind fans who plan on attending the game to wear red, white and blue in honor of Flag Day.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 12, 2016
- Arms Falter in Opening Night Loss - New Bedford Bay Sox
- Iero comes through again, Swamp Bats 3-0 after defensive battle - Keene Swamp Bats
- SteepleCats Blow Lead, Fall in Extras - North Adams SteepleCats
- Ocean Waves win over Mystic - Mystic Schooners
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