Swamp Bats lose 6-2
June 14, 2014 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Keene Swamp Bats News Release
KEENE, N.H. - It was a tale of two bullpens tonight as the Keene Swamp Bats dropped their fourth straight game, a 6-2 defeat to the Sanford Mainers.
The Mainers bullpen held Keene hitless over the final 4.1 innings while the Swamp Bats bullpen gave up 4 runs.
It was a back and forth affair with the Swamp Bats scoring first in the bottom of the fifth inning. Conner Simonetti (Kent State) lead off the inning with a double to centerfield over the outstretched glove of Drake Parker (Vanderbilt). Simonetti then scored when Patrick McGrath (Washington State) reached on an error by shortstop Corey Raley (Temple College) when he dropped a soft liner by McGrath. McGrath then moved up to second on the throw to the plate that was not in time to get the aggressive base running Simonetti.
Bret Dennis (St. John's) then singled to left, scoring McGrath and advanced to second on the error by left fielder Sam Balzano (Maine) to put the Swamp Bats up 2-0.
It was the first lead for Keene in the last 17 innings.
That lead would not last for long though as the Mainers came right back with two runs of their own in the top of the sixth inning.
The inning started with a lead-off walk by Balzano and then a double by Sam Dexter (Southern Maine). A walk to Kendall Patrick (Michigan) loaded the bases and a pair of sacrifice flies by Caden Bailey (Georgia State) and Dan Hetzel (University of Rhode Island) tied the game up at two.
That was it for Swamp Bats starter Dominic Severino (Central Connecticut State) who pitched 5.2 innings gave up two runs, both earned, on six hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Severino threw 79 pitches in his outing.
Sanford then took the lead in the seventh inning after Swamp Bats reliever Matt Crohan (Winthrop) walked Raley and Matthew Rabbito (Southern New Hampshire) to start the inning. Dexter then hit a two out, two RBI single off of reliever Matt Clancy (St. John's) to give Sanford a 4-2 lead.
Both runs were charged to Crohan who was tagged with the loss after going just two-thirds of an inning throwing just eight of his 22 pitches for strikes.
Sanford then added single runs in both the eighth and ninth innings to increase their lead to 6-2.
Ryan Johnson (Vanderbilt) came into the game in the eighth inning and picked up the six out save. Cam Hatch (St. Edward's) picked up the win.
The Swamp Bats go on the road to New Bedford tomorrow on Father's Day to take on the Bay Sox and will try to end their four-game losing streak. Game time is set for 6:30 pm.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 14, 2014
- VT Mountaineers lose 5-4 - Vermont Mountaineers
- Swamp Bats lose 6-2 - Keene Swamp Bats
- Blue Sox Erupt for 11 Runs in Victory over New Bedford - Valley Blue Sox
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