Vermont Sweeps Season Series Against Danbury with a 7-3 Win

July 5, 2023 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Vermont Mountaineers News Release

Vermont Mountaineers' Brandon Butterworth and Luke Cantwell
(Vermont Mountaineers, Credit: Alex Avedisian, Photography Intern)

The Mountaineers improved to 16-7-1 in the North Division while the Westerner's dropped to 9-13 in the West Division. Vermont maintained a one-game lead in the North Division ahead of the Upper Valley Nighthawks.

Vermont struck first right away in the opening inning. Luke Cantwell (Pittsburgh) reached on a two-out error. After Cantwell stole second, Brandon Butterworth (NC State) hit a two-run blast over the left field fence off of Danbury starter Braden Quinn, to make it 2-0. The hit extended Butterworth's hitting streak to five games, which was the second time he accomplished that this summer.

After a quick first inning, Eddie Smink(Stony Brook) ran into trouble in the second. A leadoff walk to William Cook started the inning. After Smink got a strikeout, a double by Anthony Steel put two runners in scoring position. Danbury cut the lead in half on a sacrifice fly by Drew Wyers. The Westerner's knotted the game at two on a two-out double by Jason Claiborn.

The Mountaineers quickly regained the lead in the bottom of the second. Tyler Cox (Dartmouth) walked with one out. Evan Fox (Stony Brook) hit a high fly ball to left center field and easily scored Cox from first to make it 3-2.

Smink retired the Westerner's in order in the third to hold onto a 3-2 edge. The Mountaineers threatened with a pair of runners on with one out in the home half of the inning. Quinn escaped without allowing any runs, getting a strikeout and flyout to end the inning.

Danbury threatened in the top of the fourth inning. A leadoff single by Cook and a one-out walk to Steel put two runners on. An infield single to short by Wyers loaded the bases, ending Sminks day on the hill. Colton Book (Stony Brook) was the first reliever out of the bullpen for Vermont. He got out of the jam with a pair of groundouts to leave the bases loaded.

Both teams went scoreless in the middle three innings as Vermont held on to a 3-2 lead.

After Book got a strikeout to start the seventh, reliever Brian Foley (UMass Lowell) gave up a single to the first batter he faced. A nice play by Fox at second got the hitter at first, allowing the lead runner to move to second with two outs. With the runner stealing, a grounder to shortstop took a weird bounce, but Butterworth stuck with the play and threw the runner out at first to keep a 3-2 Mountaineers lead.

Vermont extended the lead in the bottom of the seventh.Voytovich reached second on a one-out double down the left field line and then moved to third on a groundout to the pitcher. Butterworth knocked in his third run of the game, hitting a line drive to center field to make it 4-2. Nathan Waugh (Cornell) singled to left field and Butterworth was able to advance to third on a fielding error by the left fielder, keeping the inning alive. Danbury reliever Timothy Cianciolo walked Marshall Toole (Wofford) to load the bases. A bunt single by Cox down the third base line scored Butterworth to make it 5-2.

The Westerner's put two runners in scoring position in the eighth. A one-out single by Bobby Zmarzlak and Steele reaching on a fielder's choice that both runners were safe threatened. A walk loaded the bases. A slow grounder to the pitcher's mound made for a close play at the plate. Foley was able to flip the ball to Waugh at home and beat Zmarzlak for the second out. A passed ball scored the third Danbury run, but Foley got Harrison Feinberg to swing and miss, leaving the tying run at second.

Vermont added insurance in the home half of the eighth inning. A leadoff single by Jace Jeremiah (St. Johns) started the inning. He came around to score on a triple by TJ Williams (Notre Dame) to make it 6-3. Grant Voytovich (Bucknell) hit a deep fly to center field, allowing Williams to score easily from third for a 7-3 Vermont lead.

Book earned his third win of the summer, pitching three scoreless innings of relief and striking out four hitters. Quinn suffered the loss in three innings for Danbury. He allowed three runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk.

Vermont hits the road for a doubleheader on Thursday, July 6th in Holyoke, Massachusetts. First pitch from McKenzie Stadium against the Valley Blue Sox for game one is set for 5 p.m. You can also get a free crew cut at the ballpark. You can follow all the action on the NECBL Broadcast Network here.

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

Vermont Mountaineers' Brandon Butterworth and Luke Cantwell (Alex Avedisian, Photography Intern)

New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 5, 2023

• Sanford Bats Silenced Again as Ocean State Sweeps Season Series - Sanford Mainers
• Vermont Sweeps Season Series Against Danbury with a 7-3 Win - Vermont Mountaineers

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