NEWS

LACONIA, NH – Right-handed pitcher Chris Costantino (Lincoln, RI/Walters State CC) tossed the first-ever no-hitter in Laconia Muskrats franchise history and fifth in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) to lead the Muskrats over the Keene Swamp Bats, 7-0, at Robbie Mills Field.
 
Laconia improves to 12-16 overall. Keene falls to 19-12 on the season.
 
Costantino’s perfect game bid was broken up early in the contest as the right-hander walked Brett DeLoach (Blackshear, GA/Georgia) to leadoff the second inning. Costantino (2-3) only walked two batters and struck out nine in the outing retiring the final nine batters he faced in order to finish the game. His nine strikeouts fall one shy of the single-game high set by Matt Whitehouse (Vermont) and Jeff Thompson (Keene) this season.
 
Brad Monroe (Hampton, NH/Southern NH) suffered the loss (3-2) on two-plus innings pitched, five runs (all earned), five hits, two walks and three strikeouts.
 
Costantino joins Dan Jackson of Keene (1998/7 inn.), Justin Parker of Torrington (2000), Nick McNully of North Adams (2007) and Mike Thompson of Holyoke (2007) as the only pitchers to throw a no-hitter in league history. 
 
Laconia took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning as shortstop Kendall Keeton (Columbia, TN/Walters State CC) sliced a two-run single down the right field line plating Drew Fann (Murfreesboro, TN/Vanderbilt) and Bijan Rademacher (Cal State Fullerton) for his ninth and 10th RBI’s of the season.
 
Will Johnson (Austin, TX/Vanderbilt) extended the Muskrats advantage in the third with a leadoff home run to right field off of Monroe, his second longball of the season, to push the score to 3-0. After Regan Flaherty (Portland, ME/Vanderbilt) singled to right field, designated hitter Chris Burke (Islip, NY/Iona) chased Monroe from the contest with a two-run blast to left field to make it 5-0.
 
In the seventh, Laconia lengthened its lead to 7-0 as Fann lifted a two-run double to deep centerfield off of Anthony Cervone (Beacon, NY/St. John’s) scoring Johnson and Flaherty.
 
Keene enjoys a day off tomorrow before returning home on Tuesday, July 19 against Newport at 6:30 pm.
 

Shawn Medeiros
Castleton State College Sports Information Graduate Assistant
Keene Swamp Bats Director of Media Relations and Broadcasting
774-526-5805