Swamp Bats Drop Four in a Row
Published on July 18, 2016 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Keene Swamp Bats News Release
KEENE - The Keene Swamp Bats (14-16) have struggled to find their way since the calendar flipped to July. They're now 2-10 since the first of the month, and they dropped their fourth game in a row Monday to the Sanford Mainers (18-14), falling 9-5 in front of a season-low 465 fans at Alumni Field.
The Swamp Bats are now 1-4 in Keene this month.
For the second straight home game, the Swamp Bats put the first run on the board. Shortstop Joshua Shaw (So., St. John's) swung on the first pitch from Mainers starting pitcher and college teammate Cole Whitney (So., St. John's) and blasted it out for a single-shot dinger, giving Keene a 1-0 lead. That was Shaw's first home run of the season.
The Swamp Bats tacked on a second run in the bottom of the 1st. After Dom Iero (Sr., Kent St.) reached second on a walk and a wild pitch, Jack Morock (So., Iowa Western CC) hit an RBI-single to left field to give Keene a 2-0 after one inning. It was Morock's first base-hit since July 7th.
Keene added to their lead in the bottom of the 3rd when Lucas Loupa (Sr., Eckerd Col.) got on with a two-out double and was brought home on an RBI-single by Shaw, making it 3-0 Swamp Bats at the end of two.
Shaw had a season-best outing, finishing 4-for-5 with a run scored and two RBIs.
After a scoreless 3rd inning by both teams, Sanford hit a scoring burst in the top of the 4th. Keene starting pitcher Rob Carrillo (So., SNHU) gave up a single and two walks in consecutive at-bats to load the bases with no outs. The Mainers scored their first run off of an error by Keene third baseman Garrett Christman (Jr., Butler U) to make it 3-1 Swamp Bats.
The Mainers scored four more runs in the following three at-bats. Leftfielder Johnny Slater (Sr., U of Michigan) hit an RBI-single to make it a 3-2 ballgame. Carrillo was replaced by Dylan Sbordone (Jr., SNHU) with the bases still loaded and only one out in the top of the 4th.
In his first batter faced, Sbordone gave up a two-run RBI double to Sanford centerfielder Jordan Powell (Sr., U of Rhode Island) to give the Mainers a 4-3 lead. Powell finished 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBIs.
Sanford scored their fifth run of the 4th off an infield RBI single by shortstop Todd Czinege (Sr., Villanova), making it 5-3 Mainers halfway through the 4th.
All five runs that scored in the top of the 4th were charged to Carrillo, who took his second loss of the season. The Melrose, MA native finished with 3.1 innings pitched, giving up 5 hits, four earned runs, one unearned run, four walks and one strikeout.
Keene got one run back in the bottom of the 4th when Patrick Sullivan (So., U of Georgia) hit a single-shot homer to right centerfield to make it a 5-4 ball game. That was Sullivan's second dinger of the season.
The Georgia Bulldog finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, two RBIs and a double.
The Mainers answered with a single-shot homer of their own in the top of the 5th when third baseman John Cresto (So., Santa Clara U) went yard to right center, putting the Mainers ahead 6-4 in the middle of the 5th. It was Cresto's first home run of the season.
After the Swamp Bats were put down in order in the bottom of the 5th, Sanford tacked on some insurance in the top of the 6th. An error by Shaw, a single by Czinege and a walk to catcher Nelson Mompierre (So., Miami Dade CC-Kendall) loaded the bases with only one out. Mainers DH Christopher Gaetano (Sr., Monmouth U) then walked into loaded bases to score Powell from 3rd, giving the Mainers their biggest lead at 7-4.
Sbordone was then replaced on the mound by the right-handed Mike Crimi (Sr., Keene State Col.). In two innings of work Sbordone gave up five hits, two earned runs, and three walks while fanning four batters.
Crimi gave up an RBI-single to Sanford first baseman Sam Stauble (Sr., U of Southern Maine) in his first batter faced, and a passed ball by Swamp Bats catcher Tommy LaCongo (Sr., St. Bonaventure U) put the Mainers up 9-4. But, Crimi struck out right fielder Michael Young (So., UMass-Lowell) and tagged out Gaetano between 3rd base and homeplate to retire the side.
Keene got their last run back in the bottom of the 6th with an RBI double by Sullivan. It was Sullivan's first double of the season.
Crimi gave up a lead-off walk to start out the 7th inning, but went on to strike out the next five consecutive batters to hold Sanford scoreless in both the 7th and 8th innings.
Crimi finished with season-highs in innings pitched with 2.2, and in strikeouts with six. He faced a total of 10 batters.
The Swamp Bats notched a single in both the 8th and 9th innings, but were unable to get anyone else on the base paths. Sanford reliever Ryan O'Connor (Sr., Fairfield U) earned his second save of the year, tossing 3.2 innings, giving up three hits and fanning three batters.
Whitney meanwhile earned his first win on the mound this season for the Mainers, lasting 5.1 innings, surrendering eight hits, four earned runs, and one walk while retiring three batters via strikeout.
The Swamp Bats continue play at home Tuesday, taking on the Upper Valley Nighthawks (11-19) in a doubleheader. The first game of the twofer starts at 4:30, with the second game beginning approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Both games can be heard on the NECBL Broadcast Network, FM 104.1 and AM 1220 ESPN Keene.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 18, 2016
- Mainers Scoot by Swamp Bats with Big 4th Inning - Sanford Mainers
- Mountaineers Win Fourth Straight, Top Muskrats 6-2 - Vermont Mountaineers
- Swamp Bats Drop Four in a Row - Keene Swamp Bats
- Mystic 10, Valley 0 - Mystic Schooners
- NECBL All-Star Game Finishes in 8-8 Tie in Newport - Newport Gulls
- Scott, Astle Named Week 6 Winners - NECBL
- Late Surge Helps South Division Tie North in 2016 NECBL All-Star - NECBL
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