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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