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Mountaineers Edged by Resurgent Keene 9-8

July 6, 2015 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Vermont Mountaineers News Release


MONTPELIER, Vt. - The Vermont Mountaineers dropped a New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) contest to the Keene Swamp Bats, 9-8, at Recreation field on Monday night.

With the loss, Vermont drops to 12-11. Keene has now won three straight and improves to 7-16 on the summer.

With the score 8-4 Mountaineers entering the top of the eighth inning, the Swamp Bats erupted for five runs to take a 9-8 lead and come away with the victory. Rightfielder Ryan Karl (Towaco, N.J. / Cornell) led off the inning with a double. After a single by catcher Connor Fitzsimons (Bristol, Conn. / Central Connecticut State) set the scene at first and third with no outs, first baseman Shane Matheny (Bremerton, Wash. / Washington State) walked to load the bases. Shortstop Dan Cellucci (Westford, Mass. / Bryant) and centerfielder Lucas Luopa (Keene, N.H. / Eckerd) connected on back-to-back RBI singles to shrink the deficit to 8-6. Third baseman Garrett Christman (Noblesville, Ind. / Butler) followed with the hit of the game, a bases clearing three RBI double to provide Keene with a 9-8 edge, one the team would hold onto.

After the Swamp Bats scored two in the second to take a 2-0 lead, the Mountaineers responded with seven runs over the next three innings to take a commanding 7-2 lead.

Vermont scored two runs in the second, two in the third and three in the fourth.

With the score 2-2 in the bottom of the third, first baseman Joe Dudek (Wall Township, N.J. / Kentucky) ripped an RBI single to score pinch runner Devin Hairston (Lexington, Ky. / Louisville) from third and make the score 3-2 in favor of Vermont. The next batter, Garrett Copeland (Bartlett, Tenn. / Austin Peay), reached on a fielder's choice to score leftfielder Nick Ruppert (La Mesa, Calif. / Dartmouth) from third. Ruppert had moved from first to third on Dudek's hit. The run provided the Mountaineers with a 4-2 edge.

In the fourth, a bases loaded walk by Ruppert made it 5-2 Vermont before Dudek smack a two RBI double to make it 7-2.

After two Keene runs in the seventh made it 7-4 Vermont, Danny Bermudez (Cummings, Ga. / Western Carolina) knocked a two out RBI double to score catcher Ridge Smith (Clarksville, Tenn. / Austin Peay) and give the Mountaineers an insurance run and make the lead four, at 8-4.

Billy Whaley (Northfield, Vt. / Norwich) started for the Mountaineers and pitched five and one-third innings. He allowed just two runs (both earned) on seven hits and two walks. He struck out one and took a no decision.

Reliever Connor Sahlin (Litchfield, N.H. / Florence-Darlington Tech.) earned the win for Keene, improving to 2-2 on the summer. He dealt one inning of relief and gave up one earned run on three hits.

Vermont reliever Sam Delaplane (San Jose, Calif. / Eastern Michigan) took the loss to fall to 0-1 on the season. Delaplane threw two innings of relief, allowing five runs (all earned) on five hits and one walk. He struck out four.

The Mountaineers will next play on Tuesday evening, when they host the Newport Gulls for a 6:30 p.m. bout at Recreation Field. The game can be heard locally on CBS Sports 1240 WSKI and online at thevermontmountaineers.com.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 6, 2015


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