Swamp Bats continue winning ways, defeat Danbury 8-7

June 29, 2012 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Keene Swamp Bats News Release


Danbury, Conn. - An eighth inning solo home run from Frankie Schwindel (St. John's) lifted Keene over Danbury Friday night 8-7. In a game which saw four lead changes and 15 runs, the Swamp Bats were the last ones standing at Rogers Park.

Rob Rogers (Keyston College) started the game for the Swamp Bats on the rubber, facing off against Danbury starter David Gibson (Southern New Hampshire). Unfortunately for thew two pitchers, this was not a game where starting pitching was at a premium.

Danbury took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the second, scoring an unearned run off of Rogers. Matthew Boulter (Southern New Hampshire) led the inning off with a single for Danbury. The next batter, Jake Gronsky ( Monmouth) grounded a potential double play ball to Keene third baseman Grant Kay (Iowa Western CC), who threw the ball wide of second, putting runners on first and second with no outs. A double-play grounder advanced Boulter to third with two outs. He was driven in the next batter on a single from Chase Butler (Georgia Tech).

The Swamp Bats responded the next inning with three runs to take a 3-1 lead. Schwindel led the inning off with a single, his first of three hits on the evening. With one out, Schwindel advanced to second when Dylan Moore (Cypress Community College)) was hit by a pitch. Two batters later, with two outs, JP Sportman drove an RBI double off the wall in right field, scoring Schwindel from second. The next batter, Kay, knocked a two-run single up the middle, scoring Moore from third and Sportman from second to give Keene a 3-1 lead.

The Swamp Bats added another run in the top of the fifth. With one out, Nelson Ward (Georgia) walked. He then went first-to-third on a single from Sportman to put runners on the corners for Kay. Already with two RBI on the game, Kay knocked another RBI single to centerfield, scoring Ward from third to give Keene the 4-1 lead.

Rogers, Keene's starting pitcher, ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth against Danbury. Rogers walked Tom Zengel (UNC) to lead off the inning. With one out, he then hit Michael Thomas (Kentucky) with a pitch to put runners on first and second. After getting Daniel Spingola (Georgia Tech) to ground out to first for the second out of the inning, Zach Shank (Marist) brought home Zengel and Thomas with an RBI single, cutting the Danbury deficit to 4-3. Shank advanced to second base when the throw on his single went home, and he immediately scored when Mike Orefice (Marist) drove him in with a single, tying the game at 4.

Andrew Garner (Tulane) was up next for Danbury, and he did not disappoint. Struggling coming into the game, Garner socked a home run over the left field fence, his league-leading sixth of the year, giving the Westerners a 6-4 lead.

Rogers finished the inning, but it was his last. His final line read five innings pitched, six runs (five earned) on nine hits with two strikeouts and one walk. He left the game in position to get the loss.

Luckily for him, Keene's bats were not done doing work. Depsite the Westerners scoring an unearned run off of Keene reliever David Mahoney (UConn), the Swamp Bats still had life in the game.

Keene was back to their scoring ways in the top of the seventh inning. Working against Danbury reliever Tyler Dunaway (Kentucky), the Swamp Bats put three runs on the board to tie the game.

Ward led off the inning with a double to centerfield. He quickly advanced to third base on a wild pitch against Sportman. The next pitch, Sportman knocked an RBI single to center, scoring Ward from third base. After Kay took Sportman's place at first on a fielder's choice, Jared Walsh (Georgia) stepped to plate with an eight game hitting streak and three game home run streak on the line. He continued both streaks, taking Dunaway deep over the right-center fence for a two-run homer, tying the game at 7. It was his fourth homer of the year.

Tyler Gauthier (Southern New Hampshire) entered the game in relief for Keene after Mahoney allowed a leadoff double to Orefice to begin the bottom of the seventh inning. Gauthier quickly stranded Orefice at second thanks to two strikeouts and a foul-out. That set the stage for Schwindel in the top of the eighth.

Schwindel crushed a solo home run over the left field fence to lead off the inning and give Keene the 8-7 lead. The home run was his second of the year, coincidentally coming on his 20th birthday. It gave Keene their first lead since the top of the fifth; a lead the Swamp Bats bullpen was intent on keeping.

After tossing a scoreless bottom of the eighth inning, Gauthier gave way to Kyle Gehrs (Iowa Western CC) for the save situation in the ninth. Despite giving up a two-out walk to Orefice, Gehrs worked easily through the top of the Westerners lineup to preserve the win and earn his fourth save of the season.

With the win, Keene improved to 12-4, still in first place in the Western Division, while Danbury drops to 8-10.

The Swamp Bats are back in action Saturday night in Groton, Conn. to take on the Mystic Schooners. First pitch from Fitch High School is scheduled for 6:05 pm.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 29, 2012


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