MONTPELIER, V.T. – A day after dropping only their second game as the home team in 2025, the Keene SwampBats hit the road for a divisional tilt with the Vermont Mountaineers. In a contest that only saw three combined runs through the first six innings, Keene took advantage of late miscues from Vermont, and improved to 5-0 against the Mountaineers on the summer, winning by a score of 5-2.

RHP Aydan Decker-Petty (Liberty) started the Bats off on the right foot with his best outing of the year, going five innings of one-run ball, while allowing five hits and fanning two, as well as giving out no free passes with walks. He earned his third win of the summer with the performance, moving his record to 3-1. The one run came home in the bottom of the first, as Vermont LF Joey Pagano (St. Joseph’s) doubled and RF David Alvarez (Northwest Florida State) brought him in with a single.

The SwampBats remained behind by one until the third, when DH Ty Mainolfi (Boston College) continued his stellar year at the plate with an RBI double to score SS Andrew Bell (Duke) from first. 2B Ripken Reese (Kent State) brought Mainolfi home with a single of his own, and after those two runs, pitching took over, as neither team scored until the seventh.

Keene was first to dip into its bullpen, as RHP Kian Vorster (Louisville) made his first appearance in just under a week. His first inning of work was quiet, sending Vermont down in order, and in the seventh, worked his way out of a jam to keep the lead at three, as in the top of the frame, LF Ryan Jaros (Rutgers) came home to score on a Ty Mainolfi single and one of three Vermont errors on the night.

In the eighth, Ripken Reese led off and made it all the way around the bases, on a play that started with a throwing error by Vermont 3B Matthew Minckler (Delaware). After the throw got away, Reese made it to third, and bolted home easily as there was no one covering home. 

In the home half of the eighth, LHP Mikey Fernandez delivered a clutch inning of work, facing the minimum and striking out one. After a scoreless ninth, Keene sent its closer, Todd Kniebbe (FAU), to the mound, as he fanned three and let up an unearned run to seal the 5-2 victory.

The SwampBats stay atop the NECBL with a 23-11 record, and have a six game lead on the division to boot. They return to action tomorrow, July 17th, as they host the 15-19 Mystic Schooners for the only time this summer. First pitch is set for 6:35 PM, and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.