Swamp Bats give up 16 hits, commit 4 errors in first loss of the season
June 15, 2016 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Keene Swamp Bats News Release
KEENE - The Keene Swamp Bats are undefeated no more, as the Valley Blue Sox scored a dominating 14-6 victory at Alumni Field Wednesday after losing to Keene in Holyoke on both June 9th and 12th.
The Blue Sox offense was dominant throughout, outhitting the Swamp Bats 16-6 and blasting three home runs. All three homers were two-run shots.
Swamp Bats starting pitcher Taylor Goshen struggled to find control early, giving up a lead-off infield single to Valley centerfielder Brodie Leftridge. After Leftridge stole second, Blue Sox third baseman Kipp Moore hit an infield RBI-single to Goshen, giving Valley a 1-0 lead.
Keene had an answer in the bottom of the 1st. Lead-off man Dom Iero had an infield single to Valley starting pitcher Travis Booth. After stealing second, left fielder Parker Sniatynski and designated hitter Ryan Costello loaded the bases after they each drawed a walk. Iero was brought home after a 6-4-3 double play sacrifice by Brandt Stallings. The Swamp Bats took the lead after Sniatynski scored on a passed ball during a Jordan Howard at-bat.
Valley started to pull away in the 2nd. After shortstop Braxton Morris got on by a hit-by-pitch, Valley second baseman Cameron O'Neill blasted a two-run homer to left field to reclaim a 3-2 lead for Valley. O'Neill finished the night going 2/5 with two runs scored.
Later in the 2nd, Valley's DH Hezekiah Randolph blasted his own two-run homer into left to to extend the Valley lead to 5-2. Hezekiah finished the night going 2/4 with two runs scored and 3 RBIs.
The Swamp Bats were put down in order in the bottom of the 2nd, but Valley had a monstrous frame in the top of the 3rd. Right fielder Brennan Washington got on with a lead-off walk. He was brought home on a two-run homer to center by Blue Sox first baseman Chris Starcun to make it 7-2 Blue Sox, but it didn't end there. With the bases loaded and two outs, Keene reliever Bennett Sousa threw a wild pitch to Valley leftfielder Travis Jones. The pitch allowed O'Neill to score from 3rd base. Sousa was relieved by Swamp Bat right-hander Dylan Sbordone, but Sbordone gave up an RBI-double to Moore, which scored Randolph and catcher Tyler Johnson to make it 10-2. In his second at-bat of the inning, Starcun hit an RBI single to center to make it 11-2 Valley in the middle of the 3rd. The Blue Sox scored six runs off of four hits in 13 total at-bats in the top half of the 3rd inning.
The Swamp Bats got two runs back in the bottom of the 3rd when Howard hit a two-run homerun to right field to make it 11-4. Howard finished 2/3 with two runs scored to lead Keene offensively. Valley would tack on one more run in the 5th and two more in the 6th to keep the game out of reach.
Goshen, the starting right-hander from Iowa Western CC for Keene, took his first loss of the season on the mound, dropping his record to 1-1 and dropping the Swamp Bats record to 4-1.
Left-handed reliever Greg Jacknewitz picked up his first win as a pitcher, lasting three innings, striking out three batters and giving up two earned runs. The Valley Blue Sox find themselves back above .500 at 3-2, and go home to face Newport on Thursday.
The Swamp Bats play their third straight home game Thursday, welcoming the Plymouth Pilgrims to Keene. First pitch is at 6:30, and the game can be heard on 104.1 FM, 1220 AM ESPN Keene and on the NECBL Broadcast Network.
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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 15, 2016
- Four Homers Power Gulls to 11-4 Victory - Newport Gulls
- Swamp Bats give up 16 hits, commit 4 errors in first loss of the season - Keene Swamp Bats
- Vermont Drops Fourth Straight - Vermont Mountaineers
- Bay Sox Snap Skid - New Bedford Bay Sox
- Nearly 20 NECBL Alumni Named Minor League All-Stars - NECBL
- SteepleCats Cruise to Third Straight Win - North Adams SteepleCats
- Schooners Stumble to Fourth Straight Defeat - Mystic Schooners
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