The Vermont Mountaineers held the SwampBats to three hits and won 6-3 on Monday. 

Vermont took the lead in the bottom of the first on a bases-loaded two-run double to the right field warning track. After re-loading the bases and forcing the SwampBats into an early pitching change, a deflected groundout to second made it 3-0. After a nice 1-4-3 double play began the bottom of the second, Vermont produced a two out rally. They drew a walk, and then hit back-to-back singles to score a run before their fifth hitter Carlos Martinez hit his second two-run double in the first two innings, putting the Mountaineers up 6-0. As it looked like the league’s top team was going to run away with it, some fireworks in the third tightened up the game. Vermont Manager Mitch Holmes was ejected after arguing constantly over the strike zone. Immediately after, all-star Joe Jaconski (Penn State) walked to put runners at first and second. All-star Jake Koonin (Princeton) came up next and drilled a three-run home run halfway up the scoreboard in left field. It was his league-leading ninth home run of the season. After the game, Koonin said “he threw me a first pitch heater and I felt like I had him timed up pretty well.” Vermont’s dugout remained incensed after the ejection of their manager and third-baseman Brennan Norton followed suit by getting tossed in between innings.

The game settled down after that, with the SwampBats only managing a walk in each of the fourth and fifth innings. On the other side, Louisville’s Braxton Stewart pitched two and two-thirds scoreless innings, allowing two hits while striking out one. Georgia Tech’s Jackson Gaspard picked him up by getting the final out of the fifth with two runners on base. Nick Romano (Florida Atlantic) drove a leadoff single to right in the sixth, but got caught out in a rundown trying to advance to second on a ball in the dirt. The SwampBats’ next hit was a Sam Biller (Connecticut) double in the eighth, but he was left at second base. Gaspard dealt impressively, keeping the SwampBats in the game through three and one-third innings, allowing only two baserunners, no runs, and striking out four. The SwampBats were unable to capitalize however, going down in order in the ninth. 

Keene (19-11) visits Ocean State on Tuesday and will be home on Wednesday for First Responder & Military Appreciation night sponsored by Service Credit Union and Monadnock Ford