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Vermont's Offense Held in Check in Loss to Sanford

June 30, 2023 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Vermont Mountaineers News Release


Vermont Mountaineers' Luke Cantwell at bat
Vermont Mountaineers' Luke Cantwell at bat
(Vermont Mountaineers, Credit: Cierra Loomis, Digital Media/Photography Director)

MONTPELIER, Vt. - The Vermont Mountaineers dropped an 8-3 contest to the Sanford Mainers on Friday night from Montpelier Recreation Field. It was the fourth meeting between the two teams and first win for the Mainers against Vermont.

The Mountaineers fall to 13-6-1 while Sanford improves to 9-10 on the season.

After Aidan Risse (Bard) had a relatively quick top of the first inning, Brandon Butterworth (NC State) reached on an infield single to short in the home half. Luke Cantwell (Pittsburgh) walked as Vermont had two on with no outs. Both runners advanced on a double steal but Sanford starter Seamus Barrett got a strikeout on the play. With two outs, Grant Voytovich (Bucknell) came up with a bloop single to shallow right center, scoring both runners and giving Vermont a 2-0 lead.

Sanford put two runners in scoring position with an out in the second inning as Kevin Skagerlind doubled to deep left field. The defense for Vermont had other plans as Jace Jeremiah (St. Johns) made a quick reflex catch at third and doubled up Skagerlind at second to keep the Mountaineers ahead by two runs.

After Barrett settled down in the second and third inning, Sanford evened the score in the top of the fourth. A lead off walk followed by a two-run blast to left field by Calvin Hewett knotted the game at two runs. An error put Logan Poteet on second, before Skagerlind was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, before Risse got a strikeout for the first out. Reliever Ben Adams (St. Johns), who was making his first appearance of the summer, escaped and stranded the runners in scoring position. He got a pop up in foul territory and notched his first strikeout to keep the game tied at two.

Marshall Toole (Wofford) broke up a streak of nine-straight batters retired by Barrett with a bunt single to the mound in the fourth. He swiped second base but was thrown out attempting to swipe third to end the inning.

The Mainers put two runners on in the fifth inning with two outs, before Brendan McFall (Northeastern) came in as the second pitcher from Vermont's bullpen. He gave up a two-out walk to load the bases. McFall got out of it with a pop up to shortstop to leave the bases loaded.

Barrett continued to cruise through the game after a rocky first inning, retiring the hitters in order. A leadoff single by Simmi Whitehill started the sixth for Sanford. A sacrifice bunt moved him to second off Vermont reliever Luke Carpenter (Dartmouth), before he moved to third on a ground out. A walk to Devan Bade put runners on the corners with two outs. The Mainers took a 3-2 lead on a failed pick off to first, scoring Whitehill. A pop up to shallow center ended the inning.

After Barrett picked up his ninth strikeout of the game, he gave up a four pitch walk to Cantwell in the bottom of the sixth. He picked up his 10th strikeout of the game, looking to escape. Santino Rosso (Hofstra) had other ideas. He hit a line drive to center field that skipped by the glove of Hewett, allowing Cantwell to score the tying run.

Carpenter gave up a leadoff walk but was able to get a pair of back-to-back strikeouts in the seventh. However, it was deja vu as Skagerlind singled to center field. The ball took a weird bounce past Toole, allowing Jack Toomey to score the go-ahead run on Vermont's third error of the game.

Toole started the seventh by getting hit by reliever Zach Given. Toole swiped second with one out but was stranded in scoring position as Given got a strikeout and ground out to keep Sanford ahead by a run.

Sanford looked to extend its lead in the eighth. Reliever Valentino Taddei (Lehigh) loaded the bases with three walks to start the inning. Tyler Cox (Dartmouth) came in with a 2-0 count and Matthew Polk singled to give the Mainers a 5-3 lead all with no outs. A sacrifice fly made it 6-3. Cox got a flyout but a two-out single by Skagerlind made it 8-3.

Bryce Athim pitched two scoreless innings to close out the game for Sanford.

Barrett earned his first win of the summer striking out 10 batters over six innings of work, while allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks. Carpenter suffered the loss for Vermont in two innings of work, allowing just one unearned run.

Vermont jumps right back into action with a doubleheader on Saturday against the Keene Swamp Bats. First game is set for 4 p.m. The game day sponsor is the National Life Group and members of the USS Montpelier will be at the game. 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.




Images from this story

Vermont Mountaineers' Luke Cantwell at bat
Vermont Mountaineers' Luke Cantwell at bat
(Cierra Loomis, Digital Media/Photography Director)		   

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