Swamp Bats snap losing streak, Wade breaks through against Mountaineers
June 23, 2016 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Keene Swamp Bats News Release
KEENE - Sophomore left fielder Jamal Wade from the University of Maryland had only two hits in his first 14 at-bats coming into Thursday night's battle with the Vermont Mountaineers. Coming off an 0-for-4 performance against North Adams on Sunday, Wade broke through for the Keene offense, going 3-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored, two RBIs, and a double as the Swamp Bats snapped their three-game losing streak and improved to 8-4 on the season, defeating the Mountaineers 5-3 in front of 1,463 fans at Alumni Field.
It was a balanced effort for Keene throughout, as the offense scored five runs off of nine hits, scoring one run in the 3rd, two in the 4th, one in the 6th and one in the 8th. On the pitchers' mound, lefty Ryan Avidano from the University of Georgia improved his season record to 2-0, tossing six innings, giving up five hits, one earned run. Avidano also fanned four batters while walking only one other.
For the fourth straight game, Keene failed to score the first run of the game as Vermont centerfielder Joe Tietjan from UNC-Asheville led off the game in the top of the 1st with a single-shot homerun to left field, making it 1-0 Mountaineers after one, Tietjan finished the game going 2-for-4 with the homer, an RBI and a walk.
Keene would get on the board in the bottom of the 3rd when centerfielder Parker Sniatynski scored from 3rd off a passed ball from Vermont catcher Slade Heggen, knotting the game at 1-1 after three.
The breakthrough inning for Wade came in the bottom of the 4th. After third baseman Garrett Christman of Butler University got on with a lead-off single to left, Wade crushed an 0-1 pitch from Vermont starting pitcher Michael Fairchild into right-center field for a two-run homer, giving the Swamp Bats a 3-1 lead. It was the first time since a 5-3 victory at North Adams on June 18th that Keene had a lead in a game.
Fairchild, the right-hander out of Azusa Pacific University making his first appearance of the season, took the loss on the mound for the Mountaineers, who drop to 2-10 on the season and remain in last place in the NECBL Northern Division.
Wade scored his second run of the evening from 3rd base in the bottom of the 6th when Vermont reliever Joey Benitez issued a wild pitch with two outs. Keene had a 4-1 lead at the end of six.
Vermont would mount a comeback in the top of the 8th when shortstop Mike Osinski of Longwood University hit an RBI-double into left field after Tietjan led off with a walk from Keene reliever Carmen Giampetruzzi of Boston College.
After giving up a single in the next at-bat, Giampetruzzi was pulled after only 0.2 innings of work. Right-hander and Swamp Bat closer Michael LeBeau entered the game with one out and runners on first and second in the top of the 8th.
LeBeau would give up a single to Haggen to load the bases with only one out, and Osinski scored for the Mountaineers on a passed ball from Keene catcher Evan McFarland with two outs, making it 4-3 Swamp Bats.
LeBeau would retire the side after Vermont DH Ryan Fineman of Indiana University flew out to short to end the inning.
McFarland, the Lock Haven University product, made up for the defensive mistake in the bottom of the 8th, hitting an RBI-single to center, making it 5-3 Swamp Bats entering the final inning. It was McFarland's first RBI of the season.
LeBeau then retired the Moutaineers in order in the top of the 9th to secure the victory for Keene. It was LeBeau's fourth save of the season, tying him with Robert Hitt of Ocean State for most saves in the NECBL. LeBeau also finished with two strikeouts in his 1.2 innings.
The Swamp Bats hit the road for the first of three games this weekend, taking on the Winnipesaukee Muskrats at Robbie Mills Park on Friday. First pitch is scheduled 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 June 23, 2016
- Schooners Hold on for 6-5 Victory - Mystic Schooners
- Swamp Bats snap losing streak, Wade breaks through against Mountaineers - Keene Swamp Bats
- Swamp Bats Fly Past Vermont - Vermont Mountaineers
- SteepleCats Hold off Westerners - North Adams SteepleCats
- Schooeners Top Valley 9-2 - Mystic Schooners
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