Bats Score Nine in Ninth, But Not Enough to End Losing Streak

KEENE, N.H. – The Keene SwampBats hit three home runs and scored nine runs against three different Upper Valley Nighthawks pitchers – two of which were position players – in the ninth inning but came up one run short as they fell 12-11 in a long night Thursday at Alumni Field.

The Bats (15-12-1) nearly pulled off another stunning home comeback but ultimately could not overcome a 10-run deficit and suffered their fourth consecutive loss and now lead the Nighthawks (14-13-1) by only one game in the league standings.  After Monday's 4-2 road victory over first-place Sanford, Keene moved to within a half game of the Mainers and seemed to still have momentum at their back.  Three days and four defeats later, that feels long ago, particularly on a night in which the Bats walked nine batters, hit two others, and committed a balk.

Upper Valley built a 3-0 lead in the second and third innings by scoring on a bases loaded walk and two infield ground outs before Dylan Fitzsimmons (St. John's) cracked a two-run shot in the fourth to get Keene on the board and make it a one-run game.  But an ugly fifth inning that saw the Nighthawks record only one hit and score four times, with the Bats walking six batters, quickly pushed the deficit to 7-2.

Keene loaded the bases in each of the next two innings – with the sixth being interrupted by a 51-minute weather delay – but could not score, and Upper Valley scored five times in the eighth off TJ Schuyler (Georgia Southern) as the inning began with five straight hits.  Three singles to begin the frame loaded the bases before James Love lined a ball off Schuyler's shin area and scored two as the ball bounded toward the plate and then was thrown to first by Avery Smith, allowing Frank Kelly to score when nobody was there to cover the plate.  Nick Quagliato then hit a 360-foot three-run shot to right center to make it 12-2.

Nighthawks reliever Aaron Robinson was stretched to 73 pitches and could not get out of the ninth, surrendering a solo home run to Chris Polemeni (Connecticut) before walking two and being pulled.  Upper Valley then tried to get the final three outs by using position players to preserve arms – and it barely avoided completely backfiring.  Nico Senese (Georgia Southern) greeted Love with an RBI single to make it 12-4 and then walked Fitzsimmons to load the bases.  Keene pitcher Sean Finn then fanned for the second out, but Love walked two straight runs in as Tanner Beliveau (Mississippi State) – another pitcher – and Smith each took ball four to plate two more.  Upper Valley manager Chase Allen then turned to Anthony Greco to try to get the final out, but Gavin Speirs (Charleston Southern) took his second pitch out for a grand slam to make it 12-10 game and Polemeni followed by making it back-to-back and going deep for the second time in the inning to bring the tying run to the plate.  The Nighthawks survived – barely – when Micah Kendrick (Louisiana) skied a 2-1 pitch to center to end it, as ball that was never a serious threat to be a game-tying homer.

Brody Krzysiak (Kent State) allowed three hits and three runs in four innings, walking two and striking out four as he took the loss and fell to 2-1.  Three of the Bats' four relievers issued seven free passes, outside of Beliveau's two scoreless frames that saw him allow one hit and strike out four.

Robinson (1-0) allowed one hit, three runs, walked five, and struck out four and ultimately got the win for the Nighthawks, who are 3-0-1 against Keene in 2026 after going 1-7 against the Bats last season.

The SwampBats travel to take on the North Shore Navigators (14-14) tomorrow night (Friday, July 10) at 6:05 p.m. while Upper Valley hosts Vermont.  Keene is home on Saturday against the Valley Blue Sox and Sunday against the Ocean State Waves for a doubleheader.