The Danbury Westerners made their annual trip to Alumni Field up in Keene as the NECBL’s top two home run hitting teams faced off for the first of two meetings this season. The SwampBats sent out their ace, Virginia’s Zach Messinger, while the Westerners sent lefty Joe Vail from Le Moyne College to the hill for his first start of the season. 

 As Messinger was getting settled in the first, Nick Lorusso was able to pop one over the center field fence, his second long shot of the season. Small ball would work out in the first as a double steal by Sonny Ulliana and Caleb Upshaw would bring Upshaw home and move Ulliana to third on a throwing error.  Joe Vail came into the game with a two run cushion but would surrender a run early on by a throwing error by Sonny Ulliana, but that was all that would happen in the first. The teams would trade back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the 2nd. 

In the 3rd, Caleb Upshaw ripped one to left field for his 3rd homer of the year to give Danbury a 3-1 lead. Another key highlight to this game was the defensive play of Alex Bello, who was making big plays throughout the game. 

Keene would answer in the bottom of the 3rd with two runs of their own, but the Westerners would rebound in the fifth with more small ball which got Bello home after a pair of bunts and a sacrifice fly by Lorusso. Joe Vail pitched a very solid game for the Westerners. Vail went 6 innings and gave up only one earned run with 3 strikeouts in his first true start of the summer. 

Justin Campbell entered the game in the 7th, where he gave up three runs to the SwampBats. Keene’s bullpen held Danbury to two hits in the final 2.2 innings which was the main key in this game. Keene would win it by a final score of 6-4. Justin Campbell was handed the loss for the Westerners, while Marc Davis got the win for Keene. The Westerners return to action on Friday July 5, against the defending NECBL champion Valley Blue Sox at 6:30 for our Host Family Appreciation night.