Team Info

After scoring 43 runs in the past four games, the Swampbats finally cooled off at the plate on Tuesday night.

In a game that was delayed 15 minutes due to a torrential downpour, the Swampbats got the game in but were served a tough loss that came down to 50/50 play at home.

Starter Paul Kosanovich had the longest start of the season for Swampbats starters this season and was handed a no-decision, giving up three runs, all of them earned.

This is not to say that he did not have a fantastic game.

Kosanovich, who gave up one run in the second off a Josh Loffler single to left, would go six and 2/3, not allowing any runs until the 7th.

Swampbats hitters, being potent as usual, would help Kosanovich by scoring three runs, including a two-RBI single from Justice Lucas over North Adams shortstop Andrew Pedone’s head in the 4th followed by another RBI single from Kyle Ball in the 6th. 

Lucas, making his first start as the designated hitter for the Swampbats, now has three RBIs on the season and has demonstrated he is a viable option at DH for head coach Gary Calhoun.

Timely hitting helped Keene during tonight’s game as Lucas hit the two-RBI single with bases loaded and two out.

During the 7th, with fatigue setting in, Kosanovich, after giving up a four-pitch walk to Matt Koperniak and a single from Luke Stephenson, would get Joseph Porcelli to pop out.

Kosanovich would pay the price though when a hanging fastball inside would be ripped into right by Andrew Pedone, scoring Matt Koperniak and cutting Keene’s lead to one.

Out came Paul Kosanovich and Michael Bacica looked to stall the rally.

Bacica, who threw a stellar 3.2 innings, giving up no runs, started off on a blip when he walked Bryan Picone and then hit Scout Knotts on a 1-2 inside fastball, scoring Luke Stephenson and tying the game at three with the run being charged to Kosonovich.

Keene would have an opportunity to take back the lead in the bottom of the 7th with Andrew MacNeil on second and Randall Bednar on first, but Brandon Smith would strike out swinging.

From there, Keene and North Adams would stagnate with no team scoring until the 11th.

There were plenty of opportunities however as Keene had Bednar on second and David Bedgood on third in the ninth, ready to end the game on a walk off.

However, Will Wagner would strike out on a six-pitch at-bat, sending the game to extras.

With the new NECBL rule, each team would have a man on second and an opportunity to score the go-ahead run to begin each half inning off.

Both North Adams and Keene would have men on third but fall just short on groundouts and strikeouts as both Bacica and Maddison Jeffrey, the closer for the Steeplecats, were stellar.

Jeffrey, who throws 95-97 mph, is on track for a possible MLB career.

With the Swampbats holding tight in the 11th, Tre Kirklan would be moved from second to third on a Matt Koperniak grounder.

With two outs, North Adams center fielder Josh Loffler, who already had an RBI back in the second, would play hero when he blooped a grounder to Kyle Ball, who was playing in. Ball, after double-taking to Kirklan at third, threw to first, recording the out.

Brandon Smith then threw the ball to catcher Seth Caddell. Caddell applied the tag to Kirklan and what was one of the most 50/50 plays of the season, went in favor of North Adams as home plate umpire Jason Klump called Kirklan safe.

This threw Keene in a tizzy as Seth Caddell was ejected and depending on what Klump writes up, Caddell might be out for multiple games, dealing a very tough blow to an already thin catcher core for the Swampbats.

Keene would go down 4-3 on an Andrew MacNeil flyout with Peyton Stephens, representing the tying run, only 90 feet from home.

It’s a gut-wrenching loss for the men in purple and one that will be tough to swallow as they are playing at Upper Valley, who has been surging as of late, in White River Junction, Vermont tomorrow at 6:00. 

For Keene, who has five straight home and away games still to come this week, they will look to get back in the win column with a win at Max Fields Sports Complex, where they are already 1-0 on the season.