Keene Takes Two of Three in Rare Tripleheader
July 31, 2018 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Keene Swamp Bats News Release
KEENE, NH - The Keene SwampBats (24-19) took two of three from the North Adams SteepleCats (15-27) on Tuesday at Alumni Field in Keene.
The SwampBats won game one by a score of 3-1 and took game two by a 5-2 count before falling 12-9 to North Adams in game three.
The pair of wins coupled with Upper Valley's pair of losses to Valley have wrapped up a playoff spot for Keene.
Brandon Smith (Dayton) picked up a pair of hits on the day to break the SwampBats' single-season record for hits with 57 on the year.
Game One
In a resumption of Saturday's suspended game, the Keene SwampBats picked up a 3-1 victory over the North Adams SteepleCats behind seven innings of one-run ball from RHP Jake McLinskey (Kennesaw State) on Tuesday afternoon at Alumni Field.
McLinskey (3-2) gave up one run on four hits while walking five and fanning four over seven innings of work to earn the win for Keene.
The SteepleCats had the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the seventh, but McLinskey fanned Tyler Serricchio (UNC-Asheville) to end the game.
In the top of the fourth, a single and a walk put two men on before Lorenzo Hampton (Florida International) delivered a two-out, two-run double to put the SwampBats on the board.
North Adams got a run back in the bottom of the fifth as Joe Porricelli (Merrimack) drew a leadoff walk, went to third on a single and scored when James Ciliento (Bryant) grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to cut the lead to 2-1.
Mitchell Golden (Georgia Southern) extended the Bats' lead to 3-1 with a solo shot in the top of the sixth. The home run was Golden's second of the season.
SteepleCats starter Joseph Kemlage (AIC) gave up three runs on six hits to go along with two walks and six strikeouts in 7.0 IP and was dealt the loss, dropping to 1-1.
Cordell Dunn Jr. (Grayson College-2-2, R) had a multi-hit game for manager Lyndon Coleman's squad.
Game Two
RHP Colby Dunlop (UConn) allowed just two runs over seven innings of work and the Keene SwampBats posted a 5-2 victory over North Adams in game two on Tuesday afternoon in Keene.
Dunlop (3-2) surrendered two runs on six hits while walking five and fanning six over 7.0 IP.
For the second straight game, North Adams threatened again in the seventh with the bases loaded and one away, but Dunlop got a flyout and a lineout to end the game.
Keene grabbed a run in the top of the first to take an early 1-0 lead as Jacob Koos (Stetson) led off with a single, took second on a single and scored on Dunn Jr.'s RBI single.
Smith hit a solo shot in the top of the third to make it a 2-0 game in favor of the SwampBats. The home run was Smith's team-leading 11th of the season.
Hampton delivered a solo blast of his own in the fourth to extend the lead to 3-0. The home run was Hampton's fifth of the summer.
Porricelli got North Adams on the board with an RBI single in the home half of the fifth that cut the lead to 3-1.
The SwampBats got a pair in the seventh to stretch the lead to 5-1 as Smith knocked in a run via a sac fly and Dunn Jr. drew a bases-loaded walk in the frame.
Danny Taggart (Adelphi) gave up five runs on nine hits while walking three and fanning four over 6.2 IP for the SteepleCats. Taggart was dealt the loss and drops to 2-3 on the year.
Dunn Jr. (2-3, 2 RBI), Golden (2-4) and Koos (2-4, SB, R) all had multi-hit games for Keene.
Game Three
A five-run fifth inning proved to be the difference in the game as North Adams took the third and final game from the Keene SwampBats by a score of 12-9 on Tuesday night at Alumni Field.
The afore-mentioned five-run fifth included RBI singles from Serricchio and Jeffrey Brown (Citadel) to give the SteepleCats a 9-6 lead. There were two errors in the inning from Keene.
RHP Kyle Whitten (Virginia-0.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 1 ER, BB, K) was dealt the loss for the SwampBats and drops to 2-4 on the year.
RHP Cameron Cossette (Plymouth State-4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) tossed the final four innings for North Adams to get the win and improve to 1-0.
North Adams grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second with a solo shot off the bat of Tyler Serricchio (UNC-Asheville).
The SwampBats quickly responded with two in the home half of the frame to take a 2-1 lead as Hampton led off and later scored on a wild pitch and Koos delivered a run via an RBI single.
A three-run third stretched the Keene lead to 5-1 as Alex Carballo (Kennesaw State) knocked in a run via an RBI single, a second run scored on the play on an errant throw and a throwing error charged to North Adams starter Grant Stone (Harvard) brought home a third run in the inning.
Stone (2-3) gave up the five runs (four earned) on six hits while walking three and fanning two over three innings of work.
SwampBats starter Victor Danza (Lynn) gave up one run on two hits to go along with a walk and four strikeouts over 3.0 IP in a no-decision.
North Adams cut the lead to 5-4 with three runs in the fourth including an RBI single from Jackson Coutts (Rhode Island).
The SwampBats battled back and cut the lead to 9-8 with two runs in the fifth on an RBI single from Golden and a sac fly from Smith.
Ciliento quickly answered for the SteepleCats with a solo shot in the sixth to stretch the lead to 10-8.
Keene answered with one of their own in the home half of the sixth, but North Adams got a pair of two-out runs in the seventh to account for the final margin at 12-9.
Four different players had multi-hit games for Keene: Joe Breaux (Alabama-2-4, RBI, SB), Dunn Jr. (2-4, R), Golden (2-5, 2B, RBI, R) and Koos (2-5, RBI, R).
The SwampBats wrap up the regular season on Wednesday night at Alumni Field versus the Sanford Mainers. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. and RHP Erick Zecha (1-1, 5.24) out of RPI will get the start for the hosts.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 31, 2018
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