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NYPL Vermont Lake Monsters

Lake Monsters 4, Batavia 1

July 8, 2016 - New York-Penn League (NYPL)
Vermont Lake Monsters News Release


BURLINGTON, VT --- Behind six strong innings from starter Heath Bowers and a pair of two-run base hits in the fifth inning, the Vermont Lake Monsters opened a three-game series against the Batavia Muckdogs with a 4-1 victory on Friday night in New York-Penn League action at historic Centennial Field.

Bowers (2-2) allowed just one unearned run on two hits with no walks and four strikeouts over his six innings to earn the victory and lower his ERA to 1.04 on the season. The only Batavia run came in the fourth when Bowers threw a comebacker to the mound past first baseman Miguel Mercedes for a three-base error and Eric Gutierrez followed with a groundball RBI single to left with the infield drawn in on the grass.

But Bowers recovered to strikeout Colby Lusignan and induce an inning-ending double play to get out of the fourth. He then retired six of the final seven batters he faced, the only base runner reaching on a hit by pitch. Reliever Marc Berube came on in the seventh and issued a pair of one-walks, but got out of the inning with another double play and worked around a two-out double in the eighth. Nolan Blackwood tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save as Vermont lowered its team ERA to a New York-Penn League-leading 2.26 overall.

Batavia starter Jose Diaz held the Lake Monsters without a hit over the first four innings before the Vermont bats awoke in the fifth for four of the team's five hits on the night. Eli White collected the first hit with a bloop single to center and two batters later Luis Barrera beat out an infield single for the second hit. After Barrera stole second base to put two runners in scoring position, Eric Marinez grounded a two-run single into right field to give the Lake Monsters a 2-1 lead and Miguel Mercedes followed with a two-run homer to left for his fourth home run of the season.

White had Vermont's only other hit of the game with a single in the sixth and is now 4-for-4 with a walk in his last five plate appearances. Kris Goodman had two of the Muckdogs three hits, while Diaz (0-3) was charged with four runs on four hits over 4 2/3 innings to take the loss for Batavia (5-16).

Vermont (11-10), which has won three of its last four games and seven of last 10 to climb above the .500 mark again, will host Batavia in the second of the three-game series on Saturday starting at 6:05 pm. It is Sci-Fi Night at the ballpark with Vulcan Salute Foam Fingers for the first 500 fans and the first of three post-game fireworks shows.

Check out the Vermont Lake Monsters Statistics



New York-Penn League Stories from July 8, 2016


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