NYPL Vermont Lake Monsters

Lake Monsters 3, Mahoning Valley 2

July 5, 2016 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Vermont Lake Monsters News Release


NILES, OHIO --- The Lake Monsters rallied from a two-run deficit with three unearned runs in the top of the eighth inning before Dakota Chalmers worked out major jams in both the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings as Vermont held on for a 3-2 New York-Penn League victory over Mahoning Valley Monday night at Eastwood Field.

Trailing 2-0 after seven innings, Vermont took advantage of a hit by pitch and fielding error that started the eighth inning to score the three unearned runs. Scrappers reliever did retire the next two Lake Monsters before Eric Marinez grounded an RBI single to rightfield scoring Eli White with Vermont's first run. After a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position, Miguel Mercedes gave the Lake Monsters the lead with a two-run single to right field.

Dakota Chalmers, who had been scheduled to start the game for Vermont but was scratched due to poor weather and a delayed start, came on in relief to start the sixth inning and pitched the final four innings. With the Lake Monsters taking the 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth, Chalmers started the bottom of the inning with a walk and hit batter. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third with one out, Chalmers struckout Michael Tinsley and got a Todd Issacs groundout to hold the lead.

Chalmers (3-0) got into more trouble in the ninth with back-to-back singles to start the inning and the tying run moving to third when the third baseman White was charged with a error on a stolen base attempt. But with no outs and runners on first and third, Chalmers got Luke Wakamatsu to line into a first baseman unassisted double play as Mercedes caught the line drive and doubled the runner off first. Jodd Carter then grounded out back to the mound to end the game and give Vermont its 121st straight win when leading after eight innings.

Derek Beasley made the emergency start with Chalmers being scratched and tossed three scoreless innings. Vermont starting pitchers have not allowed an earned run in their last 12 innings of work and now have a 1.82 ERA for the season (Lake Monsters lead the New York-Penn League with a 2.45 team ERA). Chalmers (3-0) allowed one unearned run on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts over the final four innings for the win.

Scrappers starter Juan Hillman allowed just three hits with one walk and eight strikeouts over the first 5 2/3 innings, while Henry Martinez (0-2) was charged with the three unearned runs in the eighth to take the loss. Erlin Cerda had a solo home run in the fourth inning for Mahoning Valley (4-14). Marinez was 2-for-4 with a run, double and RBI for Vermont (9-9), which has won five of its last seven games and are 9-5 in last 14 after starting the season 0-4.

The Lake Monsters and Scrappers will play two more times at Mahoning Valley with single games Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:05 pm. After a scheduled off day on Thursday, Vermont returns home to historic Centennial Field on Friday to begin a three-game series against the Batavia Muckdogs.

Check out the Vermont Lake Monsters Statistics



New York-Penn League Stories from July 5, 2016


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