Swamp Bats Win Sixth Straight, Defeating Laconia 9-2
July 2, 2012 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Keene Swamp Bats News Release
Keene, N.H. - In a rematch of the 2011 NECBL Championship series, the Keene Swamp Bats defeated the Laconia Muskrats 9-2. Productive hitting and stellar pitching got the job done for Keene, improving their winning streak to a season-best six games.
Kevin McAvoy (Bryant) was on the rubber for Keene tonight; making his fourth start of the season. Mathew Aldrich (Darton College) started the game for Laconia.
McAvoy entered the game with a 2-1 record on the year. He took control of the Muskrats batters from the outset of the game. He struck out four of the first six batters he faced, breezing through the top of the Muskrats' lineup. McAvoy kept Laconia off the board through the first four innings of the game.
During McAvoy's strong start, Keene's bats came alive.
The Swamp Bats scored the first run of the game on an RBI infield single from Grant Kay (Iowa Western CC). Keene added another run to their lead in the bottom of the second off a sacrifice fly from JP Sportman (Central Connecticut St.).
The Swamp Bats took a 2-0 lead over the Muskrats into the bottom of the fourth. In the fourth, Keene broke the game open with six runs to take an 8-0 lead.
Austin Wheeler (Georgia) and Dylan Moore (Cypress Community College) led off the inning with back-to-back walks. Nelson Ward (Georgia) loaded the bases with a single and Sportman followed with a two-run double. Sportman finished the evening 1-4 with three RBI and one run scored. The three RBI gives him the league lead in RBI with 23. His double resulted in a pitching change.
Tim Ponto (St. Josephs) came in to relieve Aldrich, and gave up a deep sacrifice fly to Kay which scored Ward. The next batter, Frankie Schwindel (St. John's) launched a two-run homer over the fence in left field. The home run is Schwindel's fifth of the year, and fifth in the past five games.
Dylan Delacruz (Central Connecticut St.) followed Schwindel's homer with one of his own, giving Keene its first back-to-back home runs of the summer. Delacruz's shot to right field is his third this season. That gave Keene its 8-0 lead.
The Muskrats answered the six the run inning from Keene with one run of its own. Regan Flaherty (Seminole State Col.) hit a solo home run to left center field, his second of the year. The home run was one of two runs on the evening for Laconia. They scored in the seventh inning on an RBI fielder's choice from Vince Conde (Vanderbilt).
Kyle Gehrs (Iowa Western CC) relieved McAvoy in the eighth innings. It was Gehrs' first appearance in a non-save situation this year. He finished the game for Keene, pitching two innings, striking out four batters and allowing two hits.
McAvoy finished the game in his longest outing of the year. He threw seven strong innings of work, allowing two runs (both earned) on five hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. McAvoy earned the win on the evening, his third of the season.
Aldrich earned the loss for Laconia, his third this summer. In 3+ innings of work, he gave up six runs (all earned) on five hits with five walks and four strikeouts.
With the win, Keene improves its NECBL-best record to 15-4, still in first place in the Western Division. Laconia falls to 8-12 with the loss.
The Swamp Bats are back in action Tuesday night for Independence Eve, when they take on the Great Britain National Team. There will be fireworks immediately after the game. The Swamp Bats next league game is against the Muskrats on Wednesday in Laconia, N.H.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 2, 2012
- Newport Blasts New Bedford 15-5 at Home - Newport Gulls
- Swamp Bats Win Sixth Straight, Defeating Laconia 9-2 - Keene Swamp Bats
- Steeplecats Cruise by Team Great Britain - North Adams SteepleCats
- Meet the Bay Sox at the Dartmouth Mall - New Bedford Bay Sox
- Blue Sox Set to Face Great Britain on July 5th - Valley Blue Sox
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