Thank you Kade!
Date: Jul 5, 2025
MONTPELIER, Vt. – The Vermont Mountaineers clinched the Governor’s Cup with a sweep of Upper Valley in Friday’s Independence Day doubleheader.
Vermont took game one 5-0 and clinched the cup and the sweep with a 6-2 comeback victory.
Game One: Box Score
Game Two: Box Score
The Basics
Game One Score: Vermont 5, Upper Valley 0
Game Two Score: Upper Valley 3, Vermont 6
Records: Vermont 10-13, Upper Valley 10-14
Location: Montpelier Recreation Field
Game One Rapid Recap
Lefty Oliver Pudvar got the start and the win. He tossed four scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
Vermont’s first four batters reached in the first with three runs coming across. Conlan Daniel’s little league home run on an infield single and two throwing errors made it 3-0. Sam Gates and Jaylen Hernandez scored.
Hernandez blasted a two-run homer in the third inning to make it 5-0 after Gates’ leadoff walk.
Ryan Brown closed it down with three scoreless frames and two punchouts.
Game Two Rapid Recap:
Upper Valley flipped the script as the first three reached and two scored in the first inning of game two.
Vermont responded with three runs in both the third and fourth inning.
In the third, Bennett Shealor and Dominic Camera walked. Daniel and Joey Pagano recorded back-to-back base hits plus an RBI-groundout from Addison Ainsworth made it 3-2.
In the fourth, Ty Acker singled and Camera drove him in with an RBI double. Gates was hit by a pitch, Daniel reached on an error to load the bases and Pagano walked to score Camera. A balk by the Upper Valley pitcher plated Gates to make it 6-2.
Noah Hertzler stranded the bases loaded in the top of the fourth.
Ryan VanDeWater recorded the six-out save with a double play to seal the sweep and the Governor's Cup.
Game Notes
Game One: WP: Oliver Pudvar (1-0) | LP: Ryan Sheehy (2-1)
Game Two: WP: Noah Hertzler (1-2) | LP: Nate Isler (0-2) | SV: Ryan VanDeWater (1)
Pudvar is yet to allow an earned run through 15 innings of work.
Game One marked the first shutout of the season for the Vermont pitching staff.
The Mountaineers stranded 13 Upper Valley hitters on the base paths.
The Mountaineers pitching staff struck out six batters in each game.
Hernandez’s homer was his fourth of the year, a team-high. It was the first Vermont home run at home this season.
Gates has reached in all 13 games he has appeared in.
Pagano reached four times in the doubleheader and drove in three.
Camera went 2-for-2 in game two with two runs scored, an RBI and a walk.
Up Next
The Mountaineers will travel to North Adams for a date with the SteepleCats Saturday night at 6:30 p.m.
Photo credit: Sam Hawley, Photography Intern
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