Team Info

From the first inning of tonight's game between the Keene SwampBats (14-6) and North Adams SteepleCats (11-9-2), both side's bats were alive and well.

North Adams struck for one run in the top of the first, but Keene answered right back after Zach Bushling (University of Connecticut) and Mike Nyisztor (Rutgers University) both reached base and scored. That made it a 2-1 Keene lead.

That score would hold up until the SteepleCats put three runs on the board in the top of the fourth via two home runs, and led 4-2. The SwampBats erased that deficit immediately, though. Tommy Joseph (Jacksonville University) was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. He came around to score off an RBI single from Jared Payne (Polk State College). Payne then crossed the plate to tie it at four after an RBI single from Matt Almonte (Pace University), which was one of three hits for him.

North Adams didn't score any runs after getting baserunners to second and third in the top of the fifth. Right-handed pitcher Gage Bradley (Vanderbilt University), who was making his SwampBats debut, induced a flyout to get out of the jam. 

The SwampBats then broke it open in the bottom half of the inning. Keene already struck for two runs before Troy Schreffler (University of Maryland) massacred a three-run home run to center field, and opened up a 9-4 SwampBat lead. That also extended Schreffler's hitting streak to 14 games.

The SwampBats gave up two runs in the top of the 7th, but that would be as close as North Adams would get. Bryce Hellgeth (University of Dayton) earned an 8-out save, his teammates added on another insurance run in the bottom of the 8th, and Keene won it 10-6. 

The SwampBats now have a two game lead on Upper Valley atop the NECBL's Northern Division, and sit at 15-6. Keene begins a four-game road set at Vermont tomorrow evening at 6:30.