Slow start plagues SwampBats on Opening Day

by Andrew Hillsman

DANBURY, CT - The Keene SwampBats traveled to Danbury to take on the Westerners on Tuesday, June 3rd on Opening Day in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Keene got out to a rocky start, allowing six runs in the bottom of the first, and weren't able to claw their way back into the game, eventually falling by a score of 12-4.

Niklas Pavia (Franklin Pierce) started the game and pitched three innings allowing nine runs, four of which were earned. The Westerners' big boost came in the form of a three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the first. In the bottom of the fourth, SwampBats LHP Jayden Barroqueiro (James Madison) entered the game in relief and put in four innings of five hit, one run ball, while striking out five Danbury hitters. 

Keene scored their first run of the 2025 campaign in the fifth inning in the form of a sacrifice fly out to the shortstop from 2B Ty Mainolfi (Dayton), who drove in CF Gabe Pitts (Central Connecticut State). This run made it a 9-1 game, but Danbury would stretch their lead back to 10-1 in the bottom half of the fifth on an RBI single.

The SwampBats strongest offensive performer of the night was C Zack Thompson (Mercer), who hit the first Keene longball of the summer in the sixth, and followed that up with a two-run shot in the eighth. Danbury added insurance in the bottom of the eighth, and Keene couldn't score in the top of the ninth. 

The Bats move to 0-1 on the year, and will host the Upper Valley Nighthawks tomorrow evening (Wednesday, June 4) in their home opener at Alumni Field, presented by Monadnock Ford.

First pitch between the Nighthawks and SwampBats is set for 6:35 PM on Wednesday.