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Vermont Sweeps Danbury with Offensive Explosion

June 8, 2023 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Vermont Mountaineers News Release


Vermont Mountaineers' Jack Metzger on the mound
Vermont Mountaineers' Jack Metzger on the mound
(Vermont Mountaineers, Credit: Cierra Loomis)

DANBURY, Conn. - The Vermont Mountaineers completed a two game sweep of the Danbury Westerners on Thursday night in New England Collegiate League Baseball action at Rogers Park. Game one ended with an 8-1 result with the second contest concluding with a score of 13-3.

The Mountaineers improve to 3-0 on the young season while Danbury falls to 1-2. Vermont's offense exploded for 21 runs on 19 hits, while the pitching limited the Westerner's offense to just four runs on six hits and struck out 11 batters.

In game one, Danbury jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Mike Bechetti singled, before moving to second on an error. He advanced to third on another Vermont defensive miscue, before scoring on a two-out single by Drew Wyers. That was short lived.

Vermont stormed back to take the lead in the third and never looked back. Aaron Whitley (Rochester / Niskayuna, N.Y.) and Jace Jeremiah (St. Johns / San Mateo, Calif.) started the frame with back-to-back singles, before Luke Cantwell (Fairleigh Dickinson-Teaneck / Warrington, Pa.) reached with one out after being hit. Whitley scored on a wild pitch before Grant Voytovich (Bucknell / Wexford, Pa.) walked to load the bases again. Brandon Butterworth(Western Carolina / Charlotte, N.C.) singled to score Cantwell and Jeramiah to make it 3-1 in favor of the Mountaineers.

After a rocky first inning, returning pitcher Jack Metzger (Dartmouth / Powell, Ohio)settled down over the next four innings, retiring the next 13 batters he faced with four strikeouts in that span.

Vermont added three more runs in the sixth inning. Nathan Waugh (Cornell / Placentia, Calif.) drove in Santino Rosso (Hofstra / Fairport, N.Y.) with a double, making it 4-1. The visitors continued to pressure the Westerner's, loading the bases with a pair of one out walks to Whitley and Jeremiah. A sacrifice fly by Evan Fox (Stony Brook / Ballston Spa, N.Y.) made it 5-1, before Cantwell drove in his first two runs of the summer with a single, plating Whitley and Jeremiah.

Valentino Taddei (Lehigh / Chantilly, Va.) came in relief in the sixth after a strong start by Metzger. He was able to work around a pair of one out walks, with a strikeout and a groundout to third, maintaining a six run advantage.

The guests added another run in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Nate Stocum (Western Carolina / Raleigh, N.C.). Jack Sylvia (NJIT / Queensbury, N.Y) came in to close out the contest for Vermont.

Metzger worked five innings for his first win of the summer, allowing just two hits while striking out four batters. He gave up just the one earned run. Michael Szturma suffered the loss for Danbury, tossing five innings and allowing three runs on six hits and a pair of walks.

In game two, Vermont jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning, thanks to a three-run blast by George Rosales (Fairleigh Dickinson-Teaneck / Ashburn, Va.). Marshall Toole( (Wofford / Decatur, Ga.) before Whitley was hit with a pitch. They both came around to score with two outs on the blast by Rosales.

The Mountaineers continued with the offensive pressure in the third inning. Cantwell singled, before Rosso advanced on an error by the right fielder. With one out, Vermont loaded the bases before Toole reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Cantwell. Rosso scored on a single by Whitley to make it 5-0.

Danbury got a run back in the home half of the third. Jakobi Davis doubled with one away, before scoring on a double down the line by Javon Hernandez to make it 5-1. After a scoreless fourth, Vermont tacked on insurance in the fifth.

Tyler Cox (Dartmouth / Los Angeles, Calif.) singled with one away, before a walk to TJ Williams (Notre Dame / Germantown, Md.). That chased Westerner's starter John Rizzo from the game. After a wild pitch advanced both runners, Toole doubled to score both runners to make it 7-1. Two more runs came across to extend the lead to 9-1.

Both teams went scoreless in the sixth, but Vermont's offense wasn't done, exploding for four more runs in the top of the seventh. The big blast was a three-run shot by Nathan Goranson (William & Mary / Millville, N.J.) to make it 12-1, before a Rosso drove him in for a 13-1 lead. Danbury got two runs in the home half of the seventh but Brian Foley (UMass Lowell / Milton, Mass.)

Eddi Smink (Stony Brook / West Chester, Pa.) made his first start of the summer, picking up the win. He went four innings, allowed one run on a walk and two hits while striking out three batters. Colton Book (Stony Brook / Manheim, Pa.) pitched two scoreless innings of relief.

Vermont returns to the green mountain state for a Saturday night contest against in-state rival the Upper Valley Nighthawks at the Maxfield Sports Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 6 pm. You can follow all the action on the NECBL Broadcast Network here

Photo credit: Cierra Loomis, Digital Media/Photography Director

For continuing coverage of the Vermont Mountaineers, bookmark thevermontmountaineers.com and follow the Mountaineers on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and on TikTok.




Images from this story

Vermont Mountaineers' Jack Metzger on the mound
Vermont Mountaineers' Jack Metzger on the mound
(Cierra Loomis)		   

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