Swamp Bats clinch Western Division Regular Season Title
August 2, 2011 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Keene Swamp Bats News Release
KEENE, NH - Designated hitter Brett Barrett (Keene, NH) broke open a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning with a sacrifice fly to right field that proved to be the game-winning run as the Keene Swamp Bats went on to defeat the Vermont Mountaineers, 3-2, to clinch the Western Division Regular Season Title in New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) action on Tuesday night at Alumni Field in front of 1,725 fans.
Keene finishes the regular season at 27-14 overall claiming the no. 1 seed in the Western Division Playoffs. The Swamp Bats will host the Danbury Westerners in the opening round tomorrow night at Alumni Field at 6:30 pm in a best-of-three format. Vermont falls to 26-15 overall on the season and will travel to Holyoke tomorrow to take on the Blue Sox in the opening round at 6:30 pm.
Kyle Gehrs (Independence, MO/Iowa Western CC) earned the win (5-0) in relief on one-and-one-thirds scoreless innings of work, one hit and one strikeout. Swamp Bats closer Eddie Medina (Staten Island, NY/St. John's) pitched a clean ninth inning to notch his fourth save of the season. Taylor Williams (Camas, WA/Washington St.) was handed the no-decision on six innings, one run (earned), four walks and eight strikeouts.
Liam Rafferty (Westminster, MA/Sacred Heart) suffered the loss (2-4) over one inning pitched, one hit, one run (earned) and one walk. Mountaineers starter Anthony Marzi (Berlin, CT/UConn) was also handed the no-decision going five innings, yielding one run (earned) on five hits, no walks and two punchouts.
Keene took an early 1-0 lead in the fourth inning as Kevin Brown (Northborough, MA/Bryant) launched his team-leading eighth home run of the season to right field off of Marzi.
In the sixth with the bases loaded, Colby May (Guyton, GA/Georgia) pushed the Swamp Bats ahead 2-0 with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, his 23rd run batted in on the season, scoring Alex Chittenden (Indianapolis, IN/Louisville) from third base. Chittenden led off the inning with a double down the left field line, his seventh two-base knock of the summer.
Vermont tied up the contest at 2-2 in the seventh inning as shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, MA/Franklin Pierce) came through with a clutch two-out double to centerfield off of Gehrs plating teammates Greg Bachman (Germantwon, TN/Austin Peay) and John Mishu (Nashville, TN/Princeton). Williams and David Mahoney (Colchester, CT/UConn) were each credited with a run allowing Bachman and Mishu to reach base on a walk, respectively.
In the eighth inning, Brett DeLoach (Blackshear, GA/Georgia) was hit-by-a-pitch by Rafferty to jumpstart the inning. After David Lyon (Emporium, PA/Kent St.) laced a single to centerfield, May laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Vermont elected to intentionally walk Esteban Gomez (Brooklyn, NY/San Jacinto) setting up Barrett's sac fly to right field and the eventual win.
Lyon led Keene's 10-hit outburst going 3-for-4 on the night at the plate. Gomez collected the Swamp Bats only other multi-hit performance going 2-for-3 with a walk.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from August 2, 2011
- Playoffs Start Wednesday - Home Thursday Vs. Keene - Danbury Westerners
- Mountaineers Fall to Keene In Regular Season Finale - Vermont Mountaineers
- Swamp Bats clinch Western Division Regular Season Title - Keene Swamp Bats
- Gulls to Host Laconia in NECBL Playoffs - Newport Gulls
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