Frustration Continues as Bats Drop Sixth Straight
Keene Sees 4-2 Lead Dissolve in Middle Innings, Then Sees Comeback Fall Short
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 |
|
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 2 |
KEENE, N.H. - The offense was alive and well for the Keene SwampBats on Saturday night but the pitching staff could not attack the zone against the Valley Blue Sox as they fell 7-6. Despite Keene outhitting the Blue Sox 13-6 they were still unable to cash the win as they lost their 6th game in a row.
Rocco Calise (Eckerd) made his first start on the mound for Keene this summer after 7 prior appearances out of the bullpen. He struck out the side in the opening inning, but ran into trouble in the second. After allowing a two run homer, his pitch count was not where he wanted it to be moving into the third inning. He would continue on without a blemish through four innings, but couldn't go any longer. He allowed only 1 earned run after the homer followed an error.
Despite being down early, Keene's offense bounced back in the bottom of the second inning with a sacrifice fly from TJ Schuyler (Georgia Southern) to cut the lead in half. Then in the fifth inning, the SwampBats took the lead after a 2 run homer from Nico Senese (Georgia Southern) to make it 3-2.
TJ Schuyler would drive in another run with a single to give Keene some insurance.
Though, that lead would not hold up, as the bullpen of the SwampBats started to struggle with the strike zone in the 6th inning, after multiple walks and hits allowing runners to score, Keene found themselves behind again 7-4.
There was some fight in Keene's offense in the seventh with solo home runs from Chris Polemeni (UConn), which was is fourth in 3 games, and from Senese, his second bomb of the night. That brought the game within 1 run.
Tanner Beliveau (Mississippi State) pitched the final 2.1 innings, not allowing a single run.
Valley brought in their closer, Jake LeFrancois, in the 8th inning. He did not allow anything from the SwamBats offense and saved the game for the Blue Sox, 7-6.
The SwampBats look to get back in their winning ways on Sunday afternoon against the Ocean State Waves for a doubleheader at Alumni Field. First game is set for 5:00.