Keene sweeps doubleheader with Valley Blue Sox in epic fashion, maintains first place in Northern Division  

It started off good and ended in magical fashion as Keene improved to 23-14 on the season with two wild wins over the Valley Blue Sox.

Both games were seven innings and the Bats did what they had to do, win at least one of them.

Game 1

Luke Albright, who started the game, began the afternoon with a bang, going five innings pitched with two earned runs and six strikeouts.

Valley, who was the home team for the first game, gave up the first run to Keene with a throwing error from Isaac Alexander to second scoring Bedgood.

Up 1-0, Valley retaliated a half-inning later with second basemen Travis Holt knocking in Joe Lomuscio on a fielder’s choice.

Then Valley took their first lead of the game in the second when Cody Littlejohn hit his third dinger of the season off an Albright fastball to deep right-center.

Valley could have extended their lead in the third when Nate Monastra hit a single to right but Randy Biceps Bednar, with his rifle arm, gunned out Griffin Lockwood Powell from 100 plus feet at home.

Down by one, the men in purple tied the game with a David Bedgood RBI double to left-center, scoring Andrew MacNeil from second. This was Bedgood’s 54th hit of the season and he is now five hits away from tying the season record for Keene.

It also kept his active 22 game hit-streak alive, also a record for the Bats.

Tied at two, Ryan Hogan put the icing on the cake in the sixth with his fourth homer, a two-run missile, into right-center, scoring Mathieu and making it 4-2 Keene. This was Keene’s first lead since the first inning and one they did not relinquish.

Another run could have scored but Kevin Welsh was called out for batter’s interference at home plate, ending the rally. 

Valley looked primed for a comeback when Isaac Alexander scored on a wild pitch from relief pitcher Sean Heine. Heine, who is a solid relief pitcher for the Bats, has had his struggles but got out of the jam in the sixth with the lead still intact. 

With Keene holding a narrow 4-3 lead, Justin Willis shut the door again. The UConn transfer demolished the Blue Sox lineup, going a quick 1-2-3 seventh inning and securing victory for Keene. At 22-14, Keene is on the cusp of a playoff berth.

Game 2

Keene achieved their second straight winning record and it could not have come in more wild fashion.

A back and forth affair, Valley looked like they were going to split the doubleheader with a quick run off of Swampbat starter David Johnson in the first.

With a man on third and one out, Griffin Lockwood Powell sac flew out to center, scoring Joe Lomuscio from third and giving Valley an early 1-0 lead.  

Keene struck right back in the bottom of the second with two runs off another Isaac Alexander error and a Mitch Golden sac fly, making it 2-1 Keene.

Alexander, who started at short and third for Valley, overthrew three different bases and was a major factor in why Keene won both games.

Valley could have tied the game in the third with a runner 90 feet from home and one out. The batting order had other plans as Joe Lomuscio struck out and Isaac alexander popped out to right.

Still 2-2 in the fourth, Valley took their second lead of the day. With three consecutive singles off of Johnson, Valley outfielder Danny Ryan scored Griffin Lockwood-Powell on a 6-4 fielder’s choice.

Following a Michael Wroth RBI single to left-center, Matt Richardson ended a 14-pitch at-bat with a rocket one bouncer up the middle to score Danny Ryan from second and make it 4-2 Blue Sox.

Keene looked like they were about to fold over, but Will Wagner had other plans. The 6-0 Liberty infielder slammed his sixth dinger of the season in the bottom of the sixth to deep right field, scoring David Bedgood from first and tying the game at four.

Bedgood, who singled before Wagner’s dinger, is now holding an active 23 game hit-streak and still over .360 on the season. If he does not get scouted by a professional team this coming spring season, it is a crime to the MLB.

Valley almost had the go-ahead run with an Isaac Alexander moon shot in the seventh, but Randall Bednar, being the dangerous outfielder he is, robbed the home run. Judging it perfectly, Bednar made the catch over the fence and kept it tied at four.

Keene did not score in the latter part of the inning and it went to extras. Due to NECBL rules, extra innings can only go two max innings and the most recent out is placed on second to start the half-inning. 

After foiling two rallies, Valley struck first in the top of the ninth as Nate Monastra, pinch-hitting for the Blue Sox, sac grounded out to second basemen Will Wagner, scoring Carter Williams from third.

Down by one, Keene looked tired. However, they were not done yet.

With Andrew MacNeil on second, Mitchell Golden walked and then David Matthews grounded to second.

Second basemen Travis Holt got the out at second but shortstop Matt Richardson, who was worried that Matthews would beat the throw, overthrew the ball to first basemen Michael Wroth, scoring MacNeil easily from second and putting Matthews in scoring position.

After Kevin Welsh walked, Randy Biceps followed up his glovework with his bat as he lined a hard grounder passed shortstop Matt Richardson, scoring David Matthews, sweeping Valley in the doubleheader, and giving Keene their 23rd win of the season.

The second walk-off win of the season, Keene seems to have Valley’s number as they have beaten them five out six times this year.

It’s a special day for Keene fans because their team looks like an actual NECBL championship contender.

Taking on North Adams tomorrow in Massachusetts, Keene will look to take down the Steeplecats and secrete their spot in first place.