Swamp Bats win extra innings thriller over Danbury 6-5
Published on July 5, 2012 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Keene Swamp Bats News Release
Keene, N.H. - It took 12 innings, but the Swamp Bats win its NECBL-best 17th game of the year over the Danbury Westerners 6-5. Frankie Schwindel's (St. John's) RBI double in the bottom of the 12th, scoring Dylan Delacruz (Central Connecticut St.), sent the 1,105 fans in attendance home happy.
Scott Simon (Washington St.) started the game for the Swamp Bats, entering with a 2-0 record. Ben Brewster (Maryland) was on the rubber for Danbury in his second start of the year.
The Swamp Bats got the scoring started in the bottom of the third inning. After the first two batters of the inning were retired, Delacruz lined a single off the glove of Danbury third baseman Matthew Boulter (Southern NH) to keep the inning alive. Delacruz alertly stole second base immediately and scored on an RBI single from Blue Devils teammate JP Sportman (Central Connecticut St.). Sportman was stranded on second base when Schwindel struck out swinging.
Danbury answered Keene's run with three of their own in the top of the fourth. On Simon's first pitch of the inning, Zach Shank (Marist) launched a line drive home run down the left field line. After Mike Orefice (Marist), singled to center, Andrew Garner (Tulane) crushed a two-run homer to center field to give Danbury a 3-1 lead. The home run is Garner's team-leading seventh of the season. Danbury added another run in the top of the seventh inning off of Simon. Tom Zengel (North Carolina) hit a solo home run down the right field line to give the Westerners a 4-1 lead, the last run that Simon gave up on the outing. He finished after seven innings, giving up four runs (all earned) on seven hits with six strikeouts.
The Westerners increased their lead with an important insurance run in the top of the eighth inning. With one out, Shank hit a groundball to Dylan Moore (Cyrpress Community College) who did not field the ball cleanly. Shank then stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error from Cameron O'Brien. Shank then scored on a sacrifice fly from Orefice to give Danbury the 5-1 lead.
Keene started their comeback effort in the bottom of the eighth inning. With one out, Evan Campbell (Kent State) reached first on an error from Danbury shortstop Shank. Delacruz followed with a single, chasing Westerners' reliever John Porter (Fordham) from the game. Brandon Adkins (Miami), the Danbury closer, entered the game and, after a grueling six pitch at-bat, surrendered a three-run home run to Sportman. The homer trimmed the Westerner's lead to 5-4 while giving Sportman four RBI on the night.
Danbury headed into the ninth leading 5-4. After a 1-2-3 top of the inning, the table was set for the Swamp Bats to tie up the game.
Mike Papi (Virginia), pinch-hitting for Brett Barrett (Southern Maine), led off the inning with a single into center field, representing the tying run. With one out, Wheeler reached base on an error from Westerners' second baseman Jake Gronsky (Monmouth). Gronsky charged on a soft-hit grounder and threw the ball over the head of the first baseman Orefice, which also advanced Papi to third.
With two outs, Campbell continued the inning with a walk to load the bases. Delacruz then stepped up to the plate, with Keene trailing by one run and the bases loaded. With a 2-2 count, Adkins came in with a slider that hit Delacruz, scoring Papi from third base and tying the game at 5. Sportman next came up to bat, already with four RBI on the evening. He grounded the ball sharply to Orefice at first who dove to his right, fielded the grounder, and flipped it to first to save the game for Danbury.
Great defensive plays and strong pitching highlighted the scoreless tenth and eleventh innings. Kyle Gehrs (Iowa West Community College) pitched three innings, striking out five, walking three, and giving up no runs. In the top of the eleventh, Gehrs jump-started a 1-3-6-1 pickle with teammates Jared Walsh (Georgia) and Nelson Ward (Georgia).
Rob Rogers (Keystone College) relieved Gehrs in the top of the twelfth with one out. Rogers gave up a single to Gronsky to put runners on first and second. With Jake Ivory (Missouri) pinch-hitting, Rogers and catcher O'Brien completed a strike-him-out throw-him-out double play to Sportman at third to get out of the inning. O'Brien ended the night with three successful throw downs, one to each base.
Zachary Tax (Columbia University) came in for relief in the bottom of the twelfth. Delacruz led off the inning, reaching on an error by third-baseman Matthew Boulter (Southern NH University). Sportman continued his torrid hitting, following with a single, to put runners on first and second with no outs. After struggling all game to hit the ball, Schwindel came up to the plate and ripped a double to left, scoring Delacruz to win the game. Schwindel's game-winning double continues his hitting streak to fifteen games, leading the Swamp Bats this summer.
Rogers earns the win for Keene, improving to 2-0 on the season.
With the win, the Swamp Bats raise their record to 17-4. Danbury falls to 10-12 with the loss.
Keene is back in action Friday night at Alumni Field against the Vermont Mountaineers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 pm.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 5, 2012
- Blue Sox Defeat British National 23u Team, 5-2 - Valley Blue Sox
- Swamp Bats win extra innings thriller over Danbury 6-5 - Keene Swamp Bats
- Newport Gulls Fall to New Bedford 3-2 - Newport Gulls
- SteepleCats Walk-Off Against Vermont in 5-4 Loss - Vermont Mountaineers
- Mainers Lose Extra Inning Heartbreaker 3-2 Against North Adams - Sanford Mainers
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