Team Info

The recent onslaught of rain throughout New England caused three straight postponements for the SwampBats. However, the rain held off long enough for Keene to play against the Vermont Mountaineers on Saturday night at Alumni Field.

The Mountaineers struck first, getting a 1-0 lead in the top of the 2nd inning. Keene answered back immediately, with two solo home runs courtesy of Troy Schreffler (University of Maryland) and Jared Payne (Polk State College). With a 2-1 lead at his disposal, Keene starting pitcher Zach Davidson (Lincoln Trail College) struck out three batters in a row in the top of the third.

In the bottom of the third, Keene stretched its lead further, with Noah Martinez (Central Connecticut State University) singled and scored.

Fast forwarding ahead to the top of the sixth, Vermont struck for four runs to take the lead, fueled by a three-run home run from designated hitter Jeff Holtz to give the Mountaineers a 5-3 lead.

In the next half inning, shortstop David Bryant (Radford University) walked, then third baseman Danny DiGeorgio (Rutgers University) tied the game with one swing of the bat, hitting a two-run home run to left field. The score was 5-5.

In the top of the 8th, Vermont reclaimed the lead again after back-to-back home runs -- including the second of the day for Holtz.

The SwampBats weren't ready to call it quits, though. In the bottom of the 8th inning, second baseman Zach Bushling (University of Connecticut) came up to the plate with two outs and a runner on base. Once again, one swing of the bat would tie it up; Bushling hit a two-run home run to left-center and knotted the game up at 7.

After each side went scoreless in the 9th, the game headed to extras. Walks would come back to kill the SwampBats in the 10th inning. Keene surrendered five walks in the inning, and Vermont scored four runs to take an 11-7 lead. In the bottom of the 10th, the SwampBats pushed across one run, but that was all they could muster. Vermont won 11-8 to snap Keene's ten game winning streak. The SwampBats are off on the 4th and 5th before hitting the road to play the Mainers in Sanford on July 6th.