Keene Champions

Keene SwampBats vs. Martha’s Vineyard Sharks (Game Two)

Final Score: Keene 16, Martha’s Vineyard 7 (Keene wins series 2-0)

Oak Bluffs, MA – Led by game one hero Ripken Reese (Kent St), the Keene SwampBats have defeated the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks 16-7 to claim the NECBL Championship. After a walk-off grand slam in yesterday’s contest, Reese picked up right where he left off, going 3-6 with two homers and a double. He drove in eight runs as part of a monstrous three-inning stretch where Keene scored all 16 runs unanswered.

After dropping game one in a heartbreaker, the Sharks came out hungry at their home field. In the bottom of the first, Max Kaufer (South Carolina) homered in his fourth straight game, scoring three, while Brady Krzciok (Central Michigan) drove in two with a double. Will Hampton (Vanderbilt) added to the Sharks’ early lead with a two-run blast in the second. 

From there, it was all SwampBats. The magic from yesterday’s 11-run comeback made its way back tonight for game two. Keene scored 16 runs across three innings, with four in the fifth, three in the sixth, and a whopping nine in the seventh. There were only three extra base hits in this stretch, but they all came off the bat of Reese. With his two homers and a double, Reese’s power, paired with a handful of Sharks errors, walks, and hit by pitches, put the SwampBats in the driver’s seat. Michael O’Brien (Arkansas Little Rock), Nick Romano (FAU), and TJ Schuyler (Indiana) also had RBI base knocks for Keene. 

Keene righty Andrew Lepine (Stetson) was credited with the win, going 1.2 innings in relief. Ryan Ashford (Miami) took the loss for the Sharks as he succumbed to the hot SwampBat hitters.

With the win, Keene finishes the postseason an unbeaten 6-0 following a dominant 32-12 regular season. This is also their first Championship since 2019, where they also took down the Sharks. Congratulations to both Keene and Martha’s Vineyard on fantastic seasons. 

Box Score