The top two teams in the NECBL faced off in a Saturday night showdown at Muzzy Field, The 9-5 South division leading Bristol Blues, hosted the North division leading 11-2 Keene Swamp Bats. 

Before losing the second game of a double header to the Upper Valley Nighthawks on Friday, the Swamp Bats were winners of 11 straight games. Bristol was also coming into the game off a loss, losing a close one to the Valley Blue Sox 6-4 on Friday night. 

In the top of the third, Xavier Perez (Houston U of) doubled to left field to drive in the first run of the game to give Keene a 1-0 lead. In the fourth inning, Keene had runners on the corners and nobody out. A 6-4-3 double play allowed a run to score, but Bristol escaped the rest of the inning without any further damage. 

The Blues rallied in the fifth inning to retake the lead, Thomas Ahlers (Keene St.) singled to drive in a run and advanced to second off of an error by the center fielder. With runners on third and second Gianno Merlonghi (Central Connecticut State) came through with a two-run RBI single to put the Blues out in front 3-2. 

However, the Swamp Bats wasted no time retaking the lead; they scored a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to make it 4-3. Benjamin Shenosky (Penn St.) and John Malone (Samford) dominated the remainder of the game. They retired ten straight Bristol hitters and also held the Blues hitless after the fifth inning and only allowed one batter to reach base. That lone base runner came when Easton Richter (Minnesota U of) reached on an error in the bottom of the ninth with one out. 

Mika Peterson (Brown) came in as a pinch runner for Richter representing the tying run with Luke Nomura (Fairfield) at the plate. Peterson broke for second on a 2-2 pitch Nomura looked at strike three and Peterson got thrown out, in the blink of an eye the game was over and the Swamp Bats picked up a 4-3 win.  

 With the loss Bristol falls to 9-6 on the season but remains in first place in the South division. The Blues are back at Muzzy Field on Sunday to take on the Ocean State Waves with first pitch set for 5 p.m. 

Written by Ryan McKenna  

Photo Courtesy of Bristol Blues Instagram Page (@bristol_blues)