Keene SwampBats Congratulate Former Pitcher Alex Wood on R...
Date: Aug 11, 2025
Martha's Vineyard, MA - The Keene SwampBats (6-0) take home the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup after sweeping the Martha's Vineyard Sharks (4-3) in the NECBL championship. The Bats finish their undefeated postseason with back-to-back comeback wins, this time trailing 7-0 early on, and rally big after getting blanked for the first four innings.
A hungry Sharks offense greeted Kyle Peters (UConn) with 7 runs in the first two innings. Though Peters was determined to keep going, and delivered 4 straight scoreless innings to follow. This ignited the Bats' offense to follow.
The game began to turn in the fifth when Keene’s offense finally broke through. Ty Mainolfi (Boston) put the visitors on the board with a sacrifice fly before Ripken Reese (Kent St), who would go on to have a career night, smashed a two-run double to cut the deficit to 7–3. Jack Herring (East Carolina) followed with a single, and Michael O’Brien’s (Little Rock) RBI drag bunt made it 7–4, giving the Bats new life.
In the sixth, Reese delivered again—this time with a towering three-run homer to left that tied the game and silenced the home crowd. Just one inning later, Keene’s offense erupted for nine runs in the seventh to seize control. The rally was highlighted by yet another three-run blast from Reese, capping his incredible night at the plate and series, with 12 RBI's in the championship series.
Nick Romano (Florida Atlantic) reached base four times and scored four runs, while TJ Schuyler (Indiana) chipped in three RBI's, two runs scored, and a pair of stolen bases to keep the pressure on the Sharks.
While the bats were making noise, Keene’s bullpen was quietly dominant, tossing three scoreless innings to keep the door shut. Ben Dean (Duke) handled the ninth, sealing the comeback win with a clean frame. By the final out, the SwampBats had scored 16 unanswered runs, turning what looked like a long night into one of the most memorable victories of the summer. Keene continues to show why they’re one of the most dangerous teams in the NECBL—no lead, it seems, is ever safe against the Bats.
The first NECBL title in 6 years, dating back to 2019, the 2025 Keene SwampBats capped off a historic season on the best possible note. The best regular season in franchise history led to an undefeated postseason. This team was something special