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Vermont Wins Third-Straight with 5-4 Win over North Adams

July 17, 2023 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Vermont Mountaineers News Release


NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - The Vermont Mountaineers overcame an early deficit to edge out a 5-4 victory over the North Adams SteepleCats on Monday night from Joe Wolfe Field.

The Mountaineers, who picked up their third-straight victory, improved to 20-11-1 on the season. The win also pushed Vermont's lead in the North Division to 3.5 games over the second-place Upper Valley Nighthawks. The SteepleCats dropped to 7-25 on the year as they sit in last place in the West Division.

Box Score

North Adams got out to an early lead thanks to a couple errors in each of the first two innings. The first run of the game started with Nathan Lincoln reaching on an error in the opening inning. He was driven in by Jake Reinisch on a one-out double. The second run came in the bottom of the second inning, giving the SteepleCats a 2-0 lead. Gehrig Ebel hit a triple to center field and scored on a throwing error.

Vermont had an early opportunity to put runs on the scoreboard in the fourth inning. Dominick Marcoccio issued three walks to load the bases with two outs. He escaped with no damage with a hard ground out to shortstop.

In the home half of the fourth, the Mountaineers defense made up for their miscues in the first two innings and kept the deficit to a pair of runs. With runners on the corners and just one out, Andre Martinez fielded a grounder at second base and threw the lead runner out at the plate. A hard liner to Jace Jeremiah at third base ended the frame as he got the force out at second.

That defensive stand helped Vermont tie and then take the lead in the top of the fifth. Jeremiah led off with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. All Star selection TJ Williams hit his second home run of the summer over the left field wall to even the score at two. Marshall Toole doubled to right field and then advanced to third on a flyout to center. Toole scored as Nathan Waugh reached first on an error by the third baseman. He came around to score two batters later on a passed ball to give Vermont a 4-2 lead.

The lead was short lived as North Adams knotted things back up in the home half of the inning. With the bases loaded and one away, a sacrifice fly scored Cedric Rose from third to cut the lead to one. The tying run came on a two-out single by Lincoln to score Ebel.

After a scoreless sixth, Vermont loaded the bases again in the seventh and regained the lead. Waugh reached on an error with George Rosales walking two batters later. A two-out single by Grant Voytovich brought in Waugh to give the Mountaineers a 5-4 edge.

Colton Book, who came in to start the sixth inning, retired North Adams in order in the eighth and ninth innings. He struck out four of the final six batters he faced to close out the victory. Book went four scoreless innings to pick up his fourth victory of the summer and had a season-high six strikeouts. He gave up just two hits with zero walks.

The Mountaineers return home on Tuesday, July 18 when they host the Upper Valley Nighthawks at Montpelier Recreation Field. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. It is also "Hometown Heroes Night", sponsored by Vermont Mutual Insurance and the Hickock & Boardman Insurance Group. All first responders get free admission.

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