Mountaineers take game one
over Keene, 7-3
MONTPELIER, VT -- The Vermont Mountaineers took game one of the
Northern Division Semifinals, 7-3 over the Keene Swamp Bats in
front of 1017 at Recreation Field in Montpelier on Thursday.
The Mountaineers got on the board early, plating two runs off
Keene Starter Ryan Vaughn in the top of the first. With one out,
Shaun Hagey worked a walk. With the hit-and-run on, AJ Pollock
doubled him home to make it 1-0. Mike Sheridan then singled up
the middle to make it a 2-0 lead.
Vermont padded their cushion in the fourth, grabbing another
pair of runs. Pollock led off with a walk, and Mike Sheridan
followed up with a broken bat single into left field. After a
Matt Prokopowicz sacrifice bunt and a Robbie Nickle strikeout,
Matt Wulfers hit a weak ground ball to third. Paul Gran came up
with it but threw it away into the Vermont Bullpen. Both runners
came home and Vermont was suddenly up 4-0.
Momentum shifted in favor of the Swamp Bats in the middle
innings. Keene got on the board in the fifth, as Mike Freeman
singled off Vermont starter Alex Curry to drive in a pair of
runs and cut the deficit in half.
The Swamp Bats clawed back to within one in the sixth, as Chris
Sheehan scored on Mark Fleury’s two-out RBI single.
Vermont put the game away in the seventh, as they took advantage
of shaky bullpen pitching from Keene. Matt Wulfers was hit by a
pitch to lead off the inning. Gerald Ogrinc singled, but was
quickly picked off. Billy Cather walked, and Curt Smith laced an
RBI Double to make it 5-3. Chad Durakis pinch hit for Shaun
Hagey, and responded with flying colors, as the NECBL playoff
veteran singled in Cather and Smith to make it 7-3, concluding
the scoring.
Josh Drewery came on in relief of Alex Curry and pitched two
scoreless innings to finish off the Swamp Bats.
Curry went seven innings, giving up three runs to get his first
win of the playoffs, improving to 1-0. Vaughn of Keene was
charged with the loss, falling to 0-1.
Mike Sheridan had three hits for the Mountaineers.
Game two will be at Alumni Field in Keene on Friday, game time
is 7 p.m. If a game three is necessary, it will take place at
Recreation Field in Montpelier at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Season
Tickets and any unused regular season tickets will be accepted
at the gate.
