Swamp Bats Drop Back to Last Place
July 28, 2016 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Keene Swamp Bats News Release
GROTON, CT - The Keene Swamp Bats (17-24) could not build off of a big Wednesday win over Valley, as they fell 8-1 to the Mystic Schooners (25-14) on Thursday in front of 271 fans at Fitch High School. The Swamp Bats haven't won in "The Shipyard" since June 30, 2012.
The Swamp Bats are now 1-11 in games away from Alumni Field in the month of July. Their overall record this month is just 5-18. The Swamp Bats, though last in the NECBL Northern Division, are still only one game out of the 4th and final playoff spot. However, Vermont and Winnipesaukee, both 17-22 and tied for 4th, will play in Laconia on Friday while Keene has the day off. After that game goes final, Keene will be 1.5 games out of the playoffs with only three games remaining on their schedule.
Keene started right-handed reliever Noah Rizio (Jr., Keene State Col.) on the mound for the first time this season, and the Schooners the Swamp Bats pay almost right away.
After the Swamp Bats stranded two runners of their own in the top of the 1st, Mystic shortstop Nick Mascelli (Sr., Wagner Col.) led off with a single to left field. The Schooners went up 2-0 in the next at-bat after centerfielder Ryan Ramiz (Jr., Seton Hall) homered to right center for his third dinger of the season.
The Swamp Bats are now 3-19 on the season when their opponent scores first.
Mystic picked up right where they left off in the bottom of the 2nd. Right fielder C.J. Moore (Sr., Grambling St.) led off with a double to right, and scored a run after Mascelli reached 2nd on a throwing error by Keene shortstop Jordan Howard (Jr., Lee U).
Howard is now tied with Ocean State's Dean Lockery for second most errors in the NECBL with 15.
With two outs and Mascelli at third, the Schooner shortstop scored off an errant pickoff attempt by Keene catcher Evan McFarland (Sr., Lock Haven U). The Schooners led 4-0 after two. The Swamp Bats defense committed three errors in the first two innings combined.
After a scoreless third and fourth inning, Mystic heated back up in the bottom of the 5th. Ramiz led off with a double, and scored off an RBI single by third baseman Richard Slenker (Sr., Yale).
Ramiz finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored, two RBIs, a home run and a double. He's batted a combined 7-for-9 in his last two games.
With two outs in the 5th and nobody on, second baseman Martin Figeuroa (Jr., U of Rhode Island) went yard to left center field to put the Schooners up 6-0 after five.
Rizio was replaced on the mound in the 5th inning by Carmen Giampetruzzi (Jr., Boston Col.) after Figeuroa's home run. The Keene State Owl took his first loss and decision on the mound in his first start of the season. In 4.2 innings, the Manchester Center, VT native surrendered nine hits, six runs (five earned) and two walks along with two strikeouts.
Keene had no answer in the middle innings, being put down in order in the 5th, 6th and 7th. The Swamp Bats notched only six hits total, and stranded seven runners on base.
Mystic put icing on the cake in the bottom of the 6th. Left fielder Taishi Terashima (Sr., St. Bonaventure U) hit his first homerun of the season; a single shot to left center.
The Schooners have hit nine homers against the Swamp Bats in this season's two meetings combined.
The Schooners added another run in the 6th off an RBI single by Richard Slenker to up 8-0.
Slenker finished 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs. All nine players in Mystic's lineup got on base, eight of them got a hit and five of them scored a run.
The Swamp Bats finally got on the board when centerfielder and Keene native Lucas Luopa (Sr., Franklin Pierce U) led off the 8th with a single-shot dinger of his own to left field to make it an 8-1 ballgame. It was Luopa's second homer of the season and his first since June 30th; both of them single shots to left field.
Luopa's homerun was one of only two hits the Swamp Bats had in innings 5-9.
Mystic starting pitcher Kevin Magee (So., St. John's U) picked up this third win of the season. In 5 innings, the Pompton Lakes, NJ native surrendered only four hits and fanned six batters while only walking two. The Schooners pitching staff struck out the Swamp Bats 10 times in the game.
The Swamp Bats have the day off Friday, and then play their home finale Saturday against the first place Sanford Mainers (24-15) at Alumni Field. It'll be the fifth and final meeting with Sanford. First pitch is set for 6:30. The game can be heard on the NECBL Broadcast Network, FM 104.1 and AM 1220 ESPN Keene.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 28, 2016
- Mystic 8, Keene 1 - Mystic Schooners
- Muskrats Clobber Moose in Final Meetup - Sanford Mainers
- Swamp Bats Drop Back to Last Place - Keene Swamp Bats
- Blue Sox Top Mountaineers 5-3 - Vermont Mountaineers
- Bay Sox Win - New Bedford Bay Sox
- Pilgrims Edge Home-Standing Gulls 6-5 - Newport Gulls
- Mystic 10, New Bedford 0 - Mystic Schooners
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