MONTPELIER, Vt. – The Mountaineers dropped the middle game of three at home to Sanford 8-1 Saturday night.

The Vermont pitching staff struck out 18 Sanford batters, but a two-run homer from Brennan Hudson gave the Mainers a 2-0 lead that they did not look back on.

Box Score

The Basics

Score: Sanford 8, Vermont 1

Records: Vermont 5-7, Sanford 4-8

Location: Montpelier Recreation Field

Rapid Recap

Eddie Albert got the start and went three scoreless innings with two hits allowed. He struck out five and walked two. 

Vermont notched two hits from Braeden Smith and Brendan Buecker in the first three innings, but they were both left stranded.

In the fourth, Sanford scored two runs with a one-out walk and the aforementioned 402-foot home run over the right field fence off of Ryan Brown.

Vermont cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning with Ty Acker reaching on an error and coming around to score on a passed ball and a wild pitch.

Both teams went scoreless from the fifth to the seventh.

In the eighth, a bloop single with two outs started a two-run rally for Sanford. Three-straight hits made it a 4-1 game.

Vermont left eight stranded and suffered an 8-1 loss after Sanford’s four-run ninth inning.

Game Notes

WP: Nichols Melton (1-0) | LP: Ryan Brown (1-1) 
Vermont’s pitching staff punched out 18 batters, a new-season high. Brown and Albert led the way with five, Ryan VanDeWater had four, Noah Hertzler and Koen Smith fanned two. 
Sam Gates has reached base safely in his first three games as a Mountaineer. 
Smith has a five-game on-base streak. 
Foster Apple has a three-game hitting streak. 
Jaylen Hernandez failed to reach base for the first time this season. 
Alex Brazer reached base twice via walks in his first game in the green and white.

Up Next

Vermont will face Sanford for the third time this season at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the middle of the three-game homestand.

Photo credit: Sam Hawley, Photography Intern

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