NYPL Vermont Lake Monsters

Iriart Homers For Only Run As Vermont Blanks Connecticut 1-0

July 24, 2015 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Vermont Lake Monsters News Release


BURLINGTON, VT --- Chris Iriart accounted for the only run of the game with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the second inning as four Vermont pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout as the Lake Monsters opened a three-game series against the Connecticut Tigers with a 1-0 New York-Penn League victory Friday night at historic Centennial Field.

Iriart lined a 1-1 pitch from Tigers starter Tyler Alexander just inside the leftfield foul pole for his third home run of the season and the Lake Monsters league-leading 20th homer overall. It was also the first run allowed this season by Alexander, who had entered the inning having allowed no runs on just two hits over his first 14 innings for Connecticut.

Vermont starter Evan Manarino allowed one hit in each of the three innings that he pitched and finshed with two strikeouts before Derek DeYoung set down the Tigers in order with one strikeout in the fourth. Heath Bowers took over in the fifth and retired nine of the 10 batters that he faced with four strikeouts to earn the victory. Those three pitchers combined to retire 12 straight Connecticut batters from the last out of the third until a Jose Zambrano two-out double in the seventh inning.

James Naile then retired six of the seven batters he faced, giving up just a two-out single in the eighth, with two strikeouts to pick up his fourth save of the season. The four Vermont hurlers combined to strikeout nine Tigers and did not issue a walk. It was the third shutout of the season for Vermont pitchers, including the second 1-0 victory (beat Lowell 1-0 in second game of doubleheader on June 29th on a Seong-minn Kim home run).

Alexander went three innings, allowing the one run on two hits with three strikeouts, while Tigers reliever Josh Heddinger gave up just one hit with one walk and four strikeouts over five scoreless innings. Zambrano and AJ Simcox both had two hits for Connecticut (16-17), which had a four-game winning streak snapped with the loss.

Vermont (14-19) and Connecticut will play the second of the three-game series at Centennial on Saturday beginning at 6:05 pm and the Lake Monsters will celebrate Star Wars Night at the ballpark.

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New York-Penn League Stories from July 24, 2015


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