Team Info

Keene NH-

The Upper Valley Nighthawks edged the Keene SwampBats 6-4 on Thursday night at Alumni Field.

Upper Valley took a 1-0 lead on the second pitch of the game as Adarius Myers drilled a home run to center field. SwampBats starter Jack Kartsonas (Kent State) was removed after three batters, as he was not feeling quite right on the mound. Matt Rowe (Rutgers) entered in long relief, and got the final two outs of the first, but not before the Nighthawks had scored two more runs on a hit and three errors by the SwampBats infield. Rowe worked around a leadoff double to pitch a scoreless second, and also pitched the third. He finished with three strikeouts and no earned runs in two and two-thirds innings pitched. Will Newell (Pasco Hernando State) came in next and pitched a scoreless fourth to keep it at 3-0. Devin Taylor (Indiana) hit a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth for the Bats’ first hit of the game, but was quickly erased on a fielder’s choice.

The Nighthawks scored twice more in the top of the fifth against Newell, with both runs coming on a two-out double by right fielder Garrett Pike. Keene finally struck against Upper Valley starter Luis Misla on a Blake DeLamielleure (Jacksonville) home run to left field in the bottom of the fifth, making it 5-1 Nighthawks. Tyler Tornberg (Bryant) pitched very well in relief to keep the game close, allowing just an RBI single in the sixth inning. Tornberg struck out two in three and two-thirds innings. The SwampBats could not take advantage of a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the sixth inning, and it stayed 6-1 heading to the ninth. Alec Ritch (Middlebury) struck out his only batter in the top of the ninth in relief of Tornberg to send it to the last half.

Brayden Horton (Liberty) led off with a pinch-hit single up the middle. The next four SwampBats all reached base on an error, a hit batsman, and two walks, making it 6-3 with the bases loaded and nobody out. After a sacrifice fly and another hit by pitch, it was 6-4 with the tying run on second base and the winning run on first with one out. Following a strikeout, Taylor came up with the game on the line. He worked a great at-bat and lifted a 3-2 pitch to deep right field. The Nighthawks caught the ball in front of the wall to end the game, as Taylor missed a game ending grand slam by feet.

Keene (5-8) is scheduled to visit the Mystic Schooners in Connecticut tonight.