Jake Koonin hit two home runs, but the SwampBats fell to the Upper Valley Nighthawks 8-6 on Friday night. 

It was a perfect start for the SwampBats when Princeton’s Jake Koonin came up as the second batter of the game after a Joe Jaconski (Penn State) single. Koonin drilled the second pitch he saw over the 380 sign in dead center field for a two-run shot. Upper Valley responded in the bottom half, putting runners on second and third with a pair of doubles, the second of which kicked off an infielder’s glove. A sacrifice fly scored a run and a walk put runners at the corners. The next batter hit a line drive single which again deflected off an infielder’s leather to tie the game at two. The Nighthawks took the lead on a wild pitch before Jaconski caught a lineout to finally end the inning. Florida Atlantic’s Nick Romano made a terrific pick on a short hop to turn a 5-4-3 double play with Ripken Reese (Kent State) to help put up a zero in the second. Upper Valley forced a pitching change in the third after a single, a double, and a run scoring ground ball. Franklin Pierce’s Stephen Bangs came in with one out and runners at first and third, and his very first pitch resulted in a 4-6-3 double play turned by Reese and shortstop Austin Hawke (Wake Forest).

Reese singled in Romano two batters into the fourth to make it 4-3, but the SwampBats would strand the bases loaded without getting anything more. Keene turned their third double play in three innings to end the bottom half. With two outs in the fifth, Romano singled, and Reese and Sam Biller (Connecticut) walked to load the bases. Penn State’s Bryce Molinaro came up next, and smoked a base hit to right field, turning the score around to 5-4 SwampBats. Again, the bases were left loaded and an opportunity was missed. Upper Valley tied the game with a home run in the bottom of the fifth before a single and an error forced Bangs from the game. A walk and a wild pitch later, the Nighthawks retook the lead at 6-5. In the sixth, a walk, a balk, and yet another single that deflected off an infielder’s glove tacked on a run for the Nighthawks. Braxton Stewart (Louisville) allowed just that one run over one and two-thirds. The Nighthawks scratched out a run on three base hits in the bottom of the seventh to make it 8-5, but Sean Finn (Connecticut) struck out three in the inning and two more in a scoreless eighth. Koonin hit another home run in the ninth, and the SwampBats got the tying runs on base with one out, but all-star closer Blake Hooks closed the door for Upper Valley.

Keene (20-13) returns home on Saturday for Bikers and Baseball night against North Adams.