OLD ORCHARD BEACH, Maine – Right fielder Brett DeLoach (Blackshear,
GA/Georgia) went 4-for-4 with one run scored, three singles and an RBI
triple to guide the Keene Swamp Bats past the Old Orchard Beach Raging
Tide, 4-1, on Sunday night at Old Orchard Beach Ballpark.

Keene improves to 7-3 overall and wins the first matchup between both
franchises since the Raging Tide moved from Lowell, Mass. as the Lowell
All-Americans. Old Orchard Beach falls to 1-10.

Swamp Bats relief pitcher Kyle Gehrs (Independence, MO/Iowa Western CC)
earned the win on two scoreless innings of work, one hit, no walks and
two strikeouts. Michael Hepple (Newington, CT/Eastern Conn. St.) earned
the hard-luck loss on two innings pitched, one unearned run, one walk
and one punchout. Bryan Benzor (Loganville, GA/Georgia) notched his
first save of the season closing out the ninth on one hit, no walks and
one strikeout.

Brad Monroe (Hampton, NH/Southern NH) was dealt the no-decision along
with Raging Tide counterpart Rich Anastasi (Waldiwck, NJ/Fordham) going
six innings, giving up one run (earned) on four hits, no walks and five
strikeouts. Anastasi also went six, yielding one run (earned), six hits
and one walk while fanning two batters.

Both teams flashed the leather early on in the contest as Raging Tide
third baseman Joel Stubbs (Norwich, Ontario/Binghamton Univ.) made a
diving play towards the second base bag on a grounder off of Alex
Chittenden’s (Indianapolis, IN/Louisville) bat and finished across the
diamond for the second out of the ball game. Monroe returned the favor
in the second inning with a highlight reel behind-the-back catch on a
sharp grounder from catcher Stephen Wadsworth (Wayland, MA/Holy Cross)
turning a 1-6-3 double play to end the inning. First baseman Marcus Way
(Naples, NY/Harvard) was recorded out on the nifty play after he reached
in the previous at-bat with a single to left field.

Keene opened up the scoring in the fifth as Colby May (Guyton,
GA/Georgia) laced an RBI single to right field plating Brett DeLoach
(Blackshear, GA/Georgia) from third base. DeLoach led off the inning
with a single, stole second base and reached third on a passed ball
before May’s third RBI of the season.

Left fielder Matt Marquis (Annandale, NJ/Maryland) responded quickly for
the Raging Tide in the bottom half of the frame launching a 1-0 fastball
over the left field wall for his second home run of the season.

In the eighth, the Swamp Bats took advantage of two consecutive fielding
miscues to take a 2-1 advantage.

After reaching on a walk with one out, Mark Podlas (Remsenberg,
NY/Virginia) stole second base but Wadsworth’s throw sailed into
centerfield. With the ball in the middle of the outfield, Podlas raced
towards the third base bag and reached safely, however centerfielder
Billy Bereszniewicz’ (Sudbury, MA/Binghamton Univ.) throw to third
landed in the Swamp Bats dugout allowing Podlas to score.

DeLoach made it 3-1 in the top of the ninth roping an RBI triple to
centerfield plating Kevin Brown (Northborough, MA/Bryant Univ.) from
second base. Brown led off the inning with a single and stole second
before DeLoach’s seventh RBI of the season. DeLoach made it 4-1 later in
the inning scoring on a wild pitch from third base by Raging Tide
pitcher Oliver Van Zant (Westport, CT/Bowdoin Coll.).

Old Orchard Beach threatened in the bottom of the ninth with runners on
second and third with one out but Benzor struck out right fielder
Francis Whitten (Westborough, MA/Maine) swinging and Marquis on a
groundout to short to seal the victory.

Keene returns to action on Tuesday, July 28 at home against the Laconia
Muskrats at 6:30 pm. On Monday, July 27 at 12 pm at Fenway Park,
shortstop Alex ChittendOH/Kent St.) and pitchers’ Jeff Thompson (Greenville, IN/Louisville) and
Taylor Williams (Camas, WA/ Washington St.) will compete against the
Team USA Collegiate National Team in an exhibition contest representing
Team NECBL.


Shawn Medeiros
Castleton State College
Sports Information Graduate Assistant
Keene Swamp Bats
Director of Media Relations and Broadcasting
Cell: (774) 526-5805
Office: (802) 468-6172