Lilek has "perfect" debut

Lilek, Castellanos and Farnworth after their perfecto.

Professional baseball debuts can be nerve-wracking, as you're making your first appearance for a team that has high hopes for you. Players afterwards breath a sign of relief, and move on with the grind that is minor league baseball.

For Miami Marlins draftee Brett Lilek, who played with the Newport Gulls in 2013, it was even more intense. The Arizona State southpaw, making his first appearance for Class A Short Season Batavia since being drafted in the second round, entered in the eighth inning with a perfect game on the line.

"Everyone knew that a perfect game was on the line," Lilek said. "When they signaled down to get me going, I said to myself, 'Don't mess this up. Whatever you do, don't be that guy.' "

The hard-throwing lefty struck out all three batters he faced, combining with Muckdogs starter Gabriel Castellanos (seven innings, 12 strikeouts) and reliever Steven Farnworth to throw the first

Scorebook from the perfect. /Muckdogs

perfect game in team history and just the third in the New York Penn League's history.

"When that final out was recorded, I had a big sigh of relief and many triumphant cheers were let out," Lilek said after Farnworth got a game-ending groundout. "I've never been a part of something so memorable, and I'll forever remember that moment moving forward in my baseball career."

Lilek needed just 14 pitches in his debut, striking out the 4-5-6 hitters in Mahoing Valley's lineup.

"I felt comfortable out there," Lilek said. "I wasn't too anxious, I was relaxed and I think I showed that. I only threw one inning, so I didn't get to throw many pitches which mean I only used my fastball and slider to my advantage."

Batavia pitching coach Brendon Sagara turned to Lilek out of the pen, knowing he had what it took to handle a big situation. The lefty had recently pitched during the D-I regionals for the Sun Devils, and was no stranger to high-pressure situations.

"He really stepped it up. He stepped up to the moment big-time," Sagara told MILB.com. "What the two relievers did really well was getting control of counts and commanding fastball down in the corners. They didn't make any mistakes out over the plate, they didn't give hitters a lot to look at, got them on their heels quick."

Two years ago, Lilek was a member of the Newport Gulls. He struck out 26 in 27 innings and went 4-2 with a 1.64 ERA, earning an All-Star nod. He struck out two of the four batters he faced for the East Division, and struck out nine over six shutout innings against Plymouth in his last start of the summer.

NECBL Power Rankings: Gulls fly high

In last week's edition of the NECBL power rankings, Mystic was coming off of an eighth consecutive win and seemingly untouchable. They've gone 2-3 in the last week, giving way to perennial power Newport, who went 4-0 to take over the top spot.

In order to put together this list, I'm taking into account several factors- last week's record, the quality of opponents, and recent performance beyond the last week as well. This is of course a fluid process, so teams will rise and fall each week.

Currently, there are seven teams hovering around .500 from spots three through 10. It made this weeks edition tough to determine.

1. Newport Gulls (10-2)  1 (2)
Newport took first place in the Southern Division with a 2-1 win over Mystic on Monday, their eighth straight win in a row. The pitching staff has allowed one run or fewer in seven of 12 games so far this year, good for a league best 2.01 ERA.

2. Mystic Schooners (10-4)  1 (1)
The Schooners incredible nine-game winning streak finally came to an end, and they've dropped three of four since then. All three losses were to divisional opponents, but Mystic is just a game out of first with the leagues second-best record and an elite pitching staff.

3. Valley Blue Sox (8-5)  4 (7)
After hitting just .199 through their first seven games, Valley's bats have come alive. They hit .313 in a 4-2 stretch to push them into first place in the Northern Division by a half game. The Blue Sox have scored 42 runs during a four-game winning streak.

4. Ocean State Waves (7-6)  1 (5)
It gets tough with seven teams hovering around .500, but the Waves are riding a three-game winning streak with wins over Laconia (5th) and Mystic (2nd). Tim Lynch is having an MVP-caliber season, slugging four home runs and hitting .348/.446/.717.

5. Laconia Muskrats (8-6)  2 (3)
They've dropped two of three but have the league's second-best record over the last 10 games (7-3). Ace Timothy Viehoff is 3-0 and has yet to give up an earned run in 19 innings, with opposing batters hitting just .108 against him.

6. North Adams SteepleCats (8-6) - (6)
Dakota Edwards' no-no on Saturday got all the attention, but the SteepleCats went 3-2 against Northern Division foes to pull into a tie for second. They are hitting just .200 as a team and hold a 4.04 ERA, so this recent run might not be sustainable.

7. Plymouth Pilgrims (6-6)  2 (9)
The Pilgrims have only played 12 games and sit at .500, but this team should be on a lot of peoples radar. Four of their losses have come to the top two teams in these rankings. They've slugged a league-best 17 home runs, but a 4.49 ERA is a area of concern.

8. New Bedford Bay Sox (7-6)  2 (10)
Despite hitting .205 over the last week, New Bedford has won three of four and are rising in the Southern Division standings. They've been boosted by a 2.19 staff ERA (1.53 in the last week) and if the hitters can come around, they'll rise even more.

9. Vermont Mountaineers (6-7)  5 (4)
Giving up a big inning has plagued Vermont all season long, as they've dropped four of five, with each loss featuring an inning in which the opponent scored five-plus runs. They're looking to get back on track with a four-game homestand.

10. Sanford Mainers (6-7)  2 (8)
The last week was a mediocre one, as the Mainers went 2-2 and didn't gain any ground. They're still in fourth, but have dropped two of three against Vermont so they currently don't have the tiebreaker. Shaine Hughes (.450) is just 18 points back in highest average.

11. Keene Swamp Bats (3-12) - (11)
After winning just one game through their first nine games, Keene has gone 2-4 and sit four places out of a playoff spot. The Swamp Bats started slow last year, but nine games under .500 is a big hole to dig out of.

12. Danbury Westerners (1-13) - (12)
Not much to say when you're 1-13 to open the season. New Bedford only won 11 games last year, but Danbury is only on pace for four, which would put them in the record books for all the wrong reasons. They have a 5.08 ERA (last) and are hitting .202 (2nd to last).

Powers start spoiled against Valley

For six innings, Vermont starter Damian Powers had held the Valley Blue Sox hitless, the lone baserunner reaching on a one-out error in the sixth.

The seventh inning was a doozy. The first seven Blue Sox hitters to come to the plate scored as they piled on seven singles, six in a row against ace reliever Sam Delaplane. Valley tacked on six more in the ninth and came away with a big 13-4 win, handing Vermont a fourth loss in its last five games.

Delaplane, who was making his first appearance in over a week, entered having not allowed a hit in 7.2 innings. That changed quickly, as he inherited a pair of runners and promptly surrendered five earned runs on six hits while walking another.

It was yet another inning that just unraveled for the Mountaineers during this skid. Large innings surrendered to North Adams (six runs), Sanford (five runs) and Laconia (seven runs) cost them, and this was no different. It was a drastic reversal of the first six innings, which had taken just an hour and nine minutes.

Powers saw his no-hitter broken up with a leadoff single from Garrett McClain, and he left after issuing a walk to Manny DeJesus. Delaplane entered and walked the first batter he faced before the hits started coming. Valley, who had racked up 18 hits in a blowout win the night before, found holes left and right.

Clay Payne lined a two-run single through the left side to give Valley the lead for good, and Jake Lumley followed with a two-run single just inside the first base line.

Jon Ducoff, John Adryan and Manny Pazos followed with RBI singles and Valley jumped out to a 7-1 lead.

Powers was untouchable early, retiring the first 16 batters he faced. An error broke up the perfect game bid, but a double play got him out of the inning having faced the minimum through six. He was charged with the loss despite allowing just two runs on one hit over six innings as both of the runners he left on scored.

It shaped up to be a pitchers duel as Valley’s Scott Burke, a recent arrival, was dealing early. His lone mistake through the early innings was hesitating on a Derek Chapman ground ball right back at him with a runner on third. Chapman beat out what would’ve been an inning-ending double play to score Joe Dudek from third for the games first run.

However, the hard throwing righty bounced back to retire 13 of the next 14 batters he faced. Burke gave up a two-run shot to Pat Madigan in his last inning of work, but still picked up his first win of the summer as he was backed by more then enough run support.

Garrison Banas, who relieved Delaplane in the seventh, worked quickly through his first four batters before running into more trouble in the ninth. He got just one out through the first nine batters, giving up six more runs. A pair of intentional walks didn’t work out, as a passed ball, a pair of bases loaded walks and two more run-scoring singles gave Valley a convincing nine-run lead.

Payne drove in three runs in the win, their third in a row. They put up 13 runs for the second straight game as they batted around twice after being held hitless the first two times through the lineup.

Blue Sox reliever Tyler Barrss was charged with a lone unearned run in the eighth, as Jack Parenty led off with a single and worked his way around after a throwing error from the catcher. Dudek lined a RBI single in a gap and Madigan drew a two-out walk, but Kevin Stypulkowski, then the potential game-tying run, fouled out to end the inning.

The Mountaineerslook to get back on track when they host Northern Division rival Sanford tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

NECBL: College World Series Alums

Zander Wiel was named the NECBL Player of the Week during his only week with the Mainers in 2013. /VU

There's something to be said about the level of talent in the NECBL when 28 current, former and future players are on the rosters of Virginia and Vanderbilt- the two teams competing in Omaha on D-I baseball's biggest stage.

Vanderbilt has the edge with 18 alums, and the Cavaliers have 10. Here's the complete list for both teams.

VANDERBILT
Player	Position	NECBL Team	Year
Joey Abraham	RHP	Sanford	2015
Ben Bowden	LHP	Plymouth	2014
Tyler Campbell	IF	Laconia	2013
Ro Coleman	OF	Keene	2014
Karl Ellison	C	Laconia	2014
Tyler Ferguson	RHP	Newport	2013
Tyler Green	IF	Newport	2014
Ryan Johnson	LHP	Sanford	2014
John Kilichowski	LHP	Newport	2014
Aubrey McCarty	IF	Keene	2014
Drake Parker	OF	Sanford	2014
Nolan Rogers	OF/IF	Sanford	2015
Matt Ruppenthal	RHP	Newport	2015
Liam Sabino	IF	Newport	2015
Jordan Sheffield	RHP	Laconia	2014
Kyle Smith	OF	Vermont	2013
Brandon Spagnulo	RHP	Newport	2015
Zander Wiel	IF	Sanford	2013

VIRGINIA
Player	Position	NECBL Team	Year
Robbie Coman	C	Keene	2014
Kenny Towns	3B	Vermont	2013
Bennett Sousa	LHP	Keene	2015
Alec Bettinger	RHP	Keene	2014
Tommy Doyle	RHP	Keene	2015
Jack Roberts	RHP	Keene	2014
Nathan Kirby	LHP	Keene	2013
Kevin Doherty	LHP	Saratoga	2013
Connor Jones	RHP	Keene	2014
David Rosenberger	LHP	Vermont/Sanford	2014/15

NECBL Team of the Week: No-no and sluggers

Laconia catcher Deon Stafford built off his big spring, where
he hit .341 for Saint Joseph's. /SJU photo

I was brainstorming content for this blog, and I realized that regular features to accompany my power rankings would be a good idea. Each week, I'm compiling a team of players who've had great weeks throughout the league. Pointstreak has a handy feature to look at the last week of statistics, so that's what I'll base this team off of.

The team will be made up of the eight position players and a starting pitcher. This is for the week of June 14th through June 21st.

Feel free to let me know if I missed anyone in the comments section!

Catcher: Deon Stafford, Laconia Muskrats

Stafford, who ranks third in the league in average, powered his way to the head of the pack among catchers. A sophomore from Saint Josephs, Stafford played in four games this week and hit .500 with four doubles and five RBIs. He raised his season average to .419 through 11 games, leads the league with six doubles and is tied for first with seven extra base hits.

First Base: Tim Lynch, Ocean State Waves

The league leader in slugging with an .818 mark, Lynch made the most of four games last week. Including a rain-shortened loss to Newport, Lynch went 8-for-11 (.728) with two home runs, a double and four RBIs. He also drew three walks and posted an on-base percentage of almost .800. He's tied for the league lead with four home runs.

Second Base: Thomas Roulis, Vermont Mountaineers

Roulis had an "off week", hitting .400 over four games to lower his season average to a NECBL-best .524. With an 80-point advantage on the next highest average, Roulis has enjoyed a stellar start to the summer. He was 6-for-15 this past week and leads the league with 22 hits in his first 10 games.

Shortstop: Tyler Orris, New Bedford Bay Sox

Orris has assembled an 11-game hitting streak to open the season for the Bay Sox, and ranks near the top of the league with a .400 average after a sucessful week. He w
ent 10-of-29 (.345) in a packed week that featured two double headers. Orris added two doubles, six RBIs and four stolen bases. He's second in the league in stolen bases, hits and RBIs.

Third Base: Mandy Alvarez, Plymouth Pilgrims

Alvarez made a big splash in his first week in the NECBL, slugging his way to the top of the league in multiple categories. He went 8-for-16 in his first four games with three home runs, four doubles and four RBIs. Despite having only played in four games, he is tied for the league lead in extra base hits (7), second in home runs (3) and third in doubles (4).

Outfielder: Parker Perez, North Adams SteepleCats

Perez piled up six hits last week, hitting his way to a .429 average over five games while stealing a pair of bases and working five walks. The two-way player was one of the only SteepleCats to find success at the plate last week, as the team hit .204 as a whole.

Outfielder: Brent Rooker, Plymouth Pilgrims

Rooker continued to crush the ball to open the summer, slugging two more home runs this past week while boosting his season slugging percentage to .667, tied for third in the league. He went 8-for-21 (.381) for Plymouth, knocking in four runs. Rooker leads the league with 12 runs scored, four home runs and 34 total bases.

Outfielder: Michael Corin, Ocean State Waves

Ocean State is tied for second in the league with eight home runs, and two came off the hot bat of Corin this week. In just three games, Corin went 4-for-10 (.400), with two of hits long balls. He drove in five runs and is heating up, raising his season average to .416.

Starting Pitcher: Dakota Edwards, North Adams SteepleCats

There's no question Edwards deserves it. The right hander from Bridgeport, coming off of an achilles tear, threw a 108-pitch no-hitter of the league's best offensive team on Saturday night. Edwards walked two and hit another batter, but settled down and retired the last 16 Mainers he faced in a 1-0 win. It was the 11th no-hitter in NECBL history, and the first individual one since 2011. It was also the second no-hitter in the SteepleCats history, the last coming in 2007.

Honorable Mentions:
Shaine Hughes, 1B, Sanford Mainers- 6-for-12, .500, HR, 2 RBIs
Devin Hariston, SS, Vermont Mountaineers- 5-for-11, .455, HR, 2B, 5 RBIs
Dalton Thomas, C/DH, Sanford Mainers- 8-for-21 .348, 2 HR, 4 RBIs
Cameron Hanley, 3B, Laconia Muskrats- 6-for-12, .500

Trifecta of No-No's: Twitter Reactions

The day started pretty normally, with a full slate of games in the majors, on the cape and throughout New England. The way the night ended, however, nobody saw coming. Here are some of the reaction's on Twitter on the historic night.

At 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer set down the first 26 batters he faced before settling for a no-hitter after plunking Pirates pinch hitter Jose Tabata with two outs in the ninth.

Mission accomplished. This is some of the best pitching I've done. It just shows you hard work pays off-@Max_Scherzer pic.twitter.com/xX0vLnMj8x

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 20, 2015

WOW!! What a day! Unreal moment to get the chocolate sauce again! #ImOnCloud9 pic.twitter.com/YGWIUyn7h5

— Max Scherzer (@Max_Scherzer) June 21, 2015

Four hours later, at 7:36 p.m., Hyannis Harbor Hawks' southpaw Devin Smeltzer finished off a 91-pitch gem in which the lone blip was a walk in the seventh.

ITS A NO HITTER! Devin Smeltzer walks one batter and strikes out 4! Unbelievable!

— Harbor Hawks Gameday (@HyannisGameday) June 20, 2015

Final line on @harborhawks Devin Smeltzer at Harwich: 9 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 4 K's #NoHitter pic.twitter.com/z2v2sBzVgr

— Matthew S Pajak (@MatthewPajak) June 20, 2015

@harborhawks Pitcher Devin Smeltzer needed only 91 pitches (60 strikes) for his no-no. 13 ground ball outs, 10 fly balls, 4 Ks.

— League Statistician (@ccblstats) June 21, 2015

Congrats to @alka_SMELTZer for throwing a no-hitter!! #hahbahhawks pic.twitter.com/bmL07JhA4D

— Kelsey Grant (@kelcgrant) June 21, 2015

An hour later, in his summer debut, North Adams SteepleCats' righthander Dakota Edwards retired the last 16 batters he faced and turned in just the 11th no-hitter in NECBL history.

BREAKING: Dakota Edwards throws a no-hitter as @SteepleCats beat Mainers, 1-0. Edwards retires last 15 in a row, finishes with 6 K's.

— Bradley Smart (@bradleysmart15) June 21, 2015

EDWARDS HAS DONE IT! Dakota Edwards throws a NO-HITTER in his debut for the North Adams SteepleCats.

— N Adams SteepleCats (@SteepleCats) June 21, 2015

Such a surreal moment tonight.

— Kota (@kota_closer20) June 21, 2015

Two #NECB #SummerBall no-hitters by @harborhawks' Devin Smeltzer (FGCU) & @SteepleCats' Dakota Edwards (Bridgeport)! pic.twitter.com/pO5Ix4M7XR

— Joshua Kummins (@JoshuaKummins) June 21, 2015

Dakota Edwards throws no-hitter to beat Mainers

Dakota Edwards, making his summer debut, threw the 11th no-hitter in NECBL history, leading the North Adams SteepleCats to a 1-0 win over the Sanford Mainers.

Edwards used 108 pitches to complete the no-hitter, striking out six while allowing just three runners to reach base on a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch. It was the first time since 2011 that a NECBL pitcher had thrown an individual no-hitter, and it was the second in SteepleCats history (Nick McNully in 2007).

"Everything was working for me," Edwards told NECBL.com after the game. "I had the two and the four seamers going.  The change-up was working well.  The slider had great movement.  All pitches were on for me tonight."

He hit Mainers leadoff hitter Nate Stepna with the first pitch of the game, and issued walks in both the second and third. However, Edwards was untouchable after that. The Bridgeport righthander induced grounders and weak pop ups, retiring the last 16 batters he faced.

Edwards needed just 12 pitches in the ninth, striking out Sanford's Shaine Hughes to close out the historic performance.

"Everyone knew going into around the seventh inning that I had a no-hitter going but to be honest with you, I didn’t really notice it until around the eighth inning," Edwards continued. "Once I did notice, I thought ‘I have to settle down.  I have to keep throwing strikes and get ahead of hitters.’ Staying composed out there- not letting the emotions get to me- was key tonight."

He was coming off of an achilles tear that limited him to just four appearances this spring at Bridgeport. Entering the summer, Edwards was looking to just 'get back in the swing of things.' He did way more than that in his debut.

It was one of three no-hitters on the day, as the Nationals Max Scherzer (MLB) and Hyannis Harbor Hawks' Devin Smeltzer (Cape Cod League) both had impressive days as well.

Error-plagued Mountaineers fall, 10-2

Pat Madigan connects on a two-run homer in the second.
Photo by Alex Clark/TA

The Vermont Mountaineers took a 2-0 lead into the third inning Saturday night with the team’s early season ace of the staff dealing on the mound, yet were left dazed after a disastrous inning that snowballed into a 10-2 rout at the hands of Laconia.

Vermont (5-6) dropped its third straight game, with each loss featuring an inning that melted down after multiple errors. On Thursday, it was a six-run first in an 8-4 loss to North Adams. Friday, a five-run eighth powered by multiple errors broke open a close game in an 8-2 loss to Sanford.

On Saturday, the explanation was similar. Vermont starter Casey Brown recorded two quick outs in the third but it quickly took a turn for a worse, as 36 minutes later Laconia (7-4) had pushed across seven runs thanks to a series of defensive miscues.

Left fielder Austin Clemons, battling the sun, dropped a pair of fly balls following a walk to bring home a run. Braxton Martinez poked a single down the first base line past a diving Simon Rosenbaum to score another, and Cameron Hanley and Jordan Simpson added back-to-back RBI singles.

Ron Farley lined a seeing-eye single through the left side, and was caught off of second. However, Mountaineers second baseman Thomas Roulis rushed his throw home when Simpson broke for the plate and it skipped to the backstop for another run. Farley made his way home on another rundown later in the inning, as Vinny DeMaria was tagged out after he slid into home.

It sucked the momentum out of Vermont, which had entered the top of the third up 2-0 after newcomer Pat Madigan deposited an 0-2 pitch from Tim Viehoff into the parking lot beyond left field. Madigan’s home run was all the offense the Mountaineers could generate, as they were held to four hits.

Viehoff, the NECBL’s Pitcher of the Week in the opening week, made a lone mistake over six innings of work. He struck out six, with both runs unearned after an error to leadoff the inning. He maintained his perfect 0.00 ERA through his first 19 innings of the summer, racking up 24 strikeouts and just eight walks.

Brown made his shortest start of the summer, needing 63 pitches before leaving with an injury with two outs in the second. After a sharply hit ball bounced off of his glove, Brown came up limping after sprinting to field the slow-rolling ball. He wasn’t helped by his defense, as he threw 30-plus pitches after retiring the first two he faced in the second.

Brown gave up seven runs on seven hits, but none were earned. Northfield high school graduate Billy Whaley went 4.1 innings in relief, allowing three runs, two earned.

Muskrats catcher Deon Stafford lined a RBI double down the left field line in the fourth, and came home after a misplay in center field from Jack Parenty. Whaley worked into trouble in the seventh as well, issuing a bases-loaded walk with one out.

Laconia’s trio of relievers — Mike Gentile, Max Bruckner and Lewis Spangler — set down all nine Mountaineers they faced.

Vermont has piled up 11 errors in the three-game skid, dropping the Mountaineers below .500 and two games out of first place in the Northern Division standings. Laconia, meanwhile, has won back-to-back games and lead the division.

The Mountaineers look to get back on track against North Adams on the road today at 4:30 p.m. SteepleCats right-hander Dakota Edwards threw the 11th no-hitter in NECBL history Saturday, pushing North Adams to a 7-5 record as they sit just a half game out of first.

Five NECBL alums have made major league debuts in 2015

After former Keene lefty Adam Conley was called up last week, five former NECBL players have made their major league debuts this season. Here's a look at how each of the five have fared in their first games and how they're playing so far in their brief careers.

Micah Johnson, 2B, White Sox (Vermont Mountaineers)

Johnson makes a play during a game against the Astros.
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

A 2010 Mountaineer, Johnson hit .292 with 11 steals over 39 games. He made Chicago's Opening Day roster, making his major league debut against Kansas City. He collected his first big league hit on a single up the middle off of Royals ace Yordano Venutra.

He played in 27 games for the White Sox and hit at a .270 clip before being sent down to Triple-A. Johnson fared well at the plate, but his baserunning and defensive skills weren't at the level Chicago wanted.

Expect him to be back at the major league level soon, as Johnson is the future at second base for the White Sox. He's hitting .311 in 28 games for the AAA Charlotte Knights, and is currently the teams No. 4 prospect

Sean Gilmartin, LHP, Mets (North Shore Navigators)

Gilmartin has a 2.01 ERA and a WHIP under 1.
Elsa/Getty Images

Gilmartin was a member of the North Shore Navigators in 2009, a team that has since moved on to the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. Gilmartin only played in 11 games with North Shore, posting a .300 on-base percentage before moving to the mound in the years that followed.

He made his debut on April 10th after making his way onto the roster out of Spring Training, and struck out one of two batters he faced. Gilmartin has excelled since then out of the Mets bullpen, posting a 2.01 ERA over 24 appearances and 22 1/3 innings. He's utilized five pitches, using a 89-mph fastball, a 90-mph sinker and a 78-mph change the most.

Cody Stanley, C, Cardinals (North Adams SteepleCats)

Stanley during the Arizona Fall League last year.
Christian Peterson/Getty Images

Stanley made his major league debut as a pinch hitter against the Brewers, singled, got two more at-bats and was back down to Triple-A. With perennial All-Star Yadier Molina behind the plate in St. Louis, Stanley didn't have a chance to get significant playing time.

A star for the SteepleCats in 2008, Stanley was a second team All-NECBL selection after hitting .352 with five homers while driving in 25 runs. He also finished a point ahead of future Cardinals teammate Matt Adams to finish second in the batting title.

Currently with the Memphis Redbirds, Stanley is on the 7-day disabled list after suffering a concussion. He was hitting .210 in 41 games with 14 RBIs and a pair of homers.

Taylor Featherston, 3B, Angels (New Bedford Bay Sox)

Featherston dives back to first on a pickoff attempt.
Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

Featherston, who is the Angel's utility infielder and capable of playing second, short and third, enjoyed a stellar half of a season with the Bay Sox in 2009. Featherston played in 21 games, slugging his way to a team-high eight extra base hits while batting .321 with a .418 slugging percentage.

He went 0-for-3 in his major league debut against the Royals on April 12th and grounded out to short in his first at bat. Featherston has only made two starts since then, but has appeared as a defensive sub and a pinch hitter. He's currently hitting just .100 in 36 games (four hits in 40 at bats).

Adam Conley, LHP, Marlins (Keene Swamp Bats)

Conley pitches for AAA New Orleans in '15. (MLB)

Conley was called up for four days after Bryan Morris went on the disabled list, threw a scoreless inning of reliever in his debut and was then optioned to Triple-A New Orleans. He pitched a 1-2-3 eighth in Toronto, needing just six pitches to set down the side.

A starter in Triple-A, Conley has posted a 2.50 ERA in 13 starts with the Zephyrs, striking out 46 in 70 innings of work. A second-round pick out of college, Conley posted what NECBL.com referred to as "arguably the finest pitching summer in NECBL history for Keene in 2009."

He didn't allow an earned run in 34 innings, posting an impeccable 0.00 ERA while striking out 37 and only allowing 14 hits over the course of the summer.

Mainers big eighth breaks open close game in 8-2 win

Hughes with Monmouth this spring. /MU Photo

A pair of costly errors in the eighth by the Mountaineers broke open a close game as Sanford scored five runs and went on to a convincing 8-2 win that stretched the Mainers’ winning streak to three games.

Shaine Hughes went 4-for-5 with a home run in his return to the Mainers (6-5) lineup after a groin injury, and teammate Dalton Thomas launched a two-run blast of his own to hand Vermont (5-5) a second straight loss.

A night after giving up six runs in the first inning of an 8-4 loss to North Adams and committing four errors, Vermont fell apart in the eighth against its divisional rivals. The Mountaineers entered down by a lone run, but several mistakes cost them in the six-run loss.

After reliever Austin Foote issued a leadoff walk to Trae Sweeting, Dan Hetzel showed bunt before slashing a single through the right side. Mountaineers right fielder Pat Madigan’s throw missed the cut and sailed to the tarp on the third base line. Sweeting raced in to score from first and Hetzel made his way to third.

Foote got two outs after issuing an intentional walk to set up the force, but the runner moved to second after another missed cut. A bloop single from David Schanz brought in two more before Hughes knocked in two more on a single up the middle after a misplay in center by Jack Parenty.

Foote (0-1) was charged with the loss in relief as a solo shot from Hughes in the seventh broke the 2-2 tie. Just two of the six runs he gave up were earned, but three walks cost him. He had set down seven of the first nine he faced before running into trouble in the eighth.

The game opened as a pitchers duel between two starters from big D-I baseball schools. Sanford’s Joey Abraham (Vanderbilt) and Vermont’s Sean Leland (Louisville) exchanged scoreless innings until the Mainers got on the board in the third.

After giving up a two-out single to Hughes, Leland got ahead of Thomas with two quick strikes. However, his next pitch caught too much of the plate on and Thomas capitalized with a high, arcing homer over the left field fence for an early 2-0 lead.

Abraham, meanwhile, looked unhittable. After working out of a first and second jam in the second, the hard throwing righty set down seven straight, four on strikeouts. The Mountaineers’ Riley Jackson drew a one-out walk in the fifth and Devin Hariston followed with a single up the middle.

That set the stage for the red-hot Thomas Roulis (2for5), who knocked in a run with a double. Roulis stretched his hitting streak to a NECBL-best nine games, and is still hitting over .500. Parenty followed with a grounder to first where Hughes came home with it, but a nifty slide from Hariston tied it up.

Both starters received no-decisions. Leland went 4.2 innings, striking out four while not issuing a walk. Abraham struck out five over 4.1,walking two and giving up four hits. The difference was the bullpens as Sanford’s trio of Aaron Casper, Hayden Heflin and Iannick Remillard held Vermont scoreless.

Casper (1-0) retired all eight batters he faced, including getting out of an inherited second-and-third jam with just one out after Abraham was pulled. He struck out four to get the win.

Heflin walked back-to-back batters and was pulled in the seventh, but Remillard escaped and worked out of trouble in the ninth as well. The big, 230-pound closer stranded two runners in scoring position in both innings and struck out two.

Sanford jumped the Mountaineers in the standings with the win, improving to 6-5 after starting the year just 2-5.

Vermont returns home tonight, hosting the division-leading Laconia Muskrats (6-4).

The Muskrats probable starter is Tim Viehoff, who hasn’t allowed a run in 13 innings and has struck out 18 to start the summer. First pitch at 6:30 p.m.

SteepleCats score six runs in first for 8-4 win over Vermont

The SteepleCats chased Vermont Mountaineers starter Garrison Banas from the game Thursday night without him recording an out en route to a six-run first frame. Banas (0-1) walked four of the five batters he faced and was lifted as North Adams snapped Vermont’s three-game winning streak, doubling them up in a 8-4 win.

Westfall this spring. He took a no-no
into the fourth inning, his last
inning of work.

A day after beating Danbury 10-1 on the strength of 14 hits, the Mountaineers didn’t record their first hit until the fourth inning. SteepleCats righthander Dalton Westfall, making his summer debut, scattered a lone run and three walks through four scoreless innings. Westfall worked in and out of trouble, including getting out of a one-out bases-loaded jam.

Despite entering with a .199 team average that ranked third to last in the NECBL, North Adams sent 10 batters to the plate to open the game in a six-run outburst. The SteepleCats only recorded a pair of hits in the inning, but set themselves up for the win after patiently drawing five walks. Errors also plagued Vermont, as a bad hop at shortstop that seemed tailor made for a double play prolonged the inning and another gifted the SteepleCats extra bases. The Mountaineers finished with four errors, combining for seven in the game.

A wild pitch brought home Parker Perez for the game’s first run, and two straight walks loaded the bases. After a mound visit, Banas walked in a run and was pulled for Vermont reliever Drew Lunde. Lunde got off to a shaky start as well, as he was greeted by a run-scoring single up the middle from Michael Babb and Chris Fornaci followed with a RBI groundout. After an intentional walk of North Adams’ number-eight hitter to set up the double play, No. 9 hitter Jim Haley powered a ball into the gap for a two-run double that stretched the lead to 6-0.

Banas was charged with five runs, just three earned. Lunde went five innings in a solid long relief, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out two. Babb added another RBI single and Fornaci swiped home on a double-steal that saw the throw down to second skip off the bag and into center field.

Westfall let up a run in the second, as Garrett Copeland worked his way into scoring position after drawing a leadoff walk and stealing second. Two groundouts later, Copeland came home after a RBI groundout from Austin Cangelosi. Copeland was starting at second in place of Thomas Roulis, the reigning NECBL Player of the Week, who didn’t play for the first time this season.

The Mountaineers were held scoreless until the seventh, when they pushed across two runs against reliever Jared Habershaw. Back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases for Riley Jackson with two outs, and the recent arrival lined a two-run single straight up the middle. However, outfielder Pat Madigan was caught off second on the play and chased down and tagged out.

Madigan made up for it with a two-out RBI single into left in the ninth against reliever Charles Bryson, but Bryson escaped a first-and-third jam to secure the win.

Vermont reliever Adam Seibert was a bright spot, as the righty struck out four straight after giving up an infield single to the first batter he faced. Seibert struck out six in just three innings of work, another key piece in the Mountaineers’ strong bullpen.

North Adams reliever Robbie Buffis (1-0) threw two perfect innings in relief.

The loss dropped Vermont (5-4) out of first after their first day atop the Northern Division this year. North Adams, meanwhile, improved to 6-4 and took over first. The Mountaineers travel to divisional rival Sanford (5-5) tonight.

Hariston shines in debut as Mountaineers rout Westerners

Hariston connects during a five-RBI day. /VTM Photo

Devin Hariston crushed a home run to left, doubled off the wall and drove in five runs in his summer debut as the Vermont Mountaineers routed the winless Danbury Westerners 10-1 on Wednesday night.

Hariston’s three-run drive into the left field parking lot came in his first at bat of the summer for the Mountaineers (5-3), and he added a two-run double that skipped off the warning track in right-center.

“I was just trying to put a ball in play because we had runners on,” Hariston said of his first at bat. “I worked a 3-2 count and he threw me a fastball I could hit. The next one was another situation where I was just trying to move the runner.”

A late arrival, the Louisville product was busy finishing off a run into the super regionals with the Cardinals. He enjoyed a stellar regional, going 5-for-10 and was named the most outstanding player.

“I was just trying to keep the same approach I had during the regional,” Hariston said. “It’s a different game swinging wood bats so I was just trying to keep the same approach that helped me be sucessful.”

He powered an explosive Mountaineers offense that racked up 14 hits, four for extra bases.

“I thought that after two days off the guys had good plate discipline,” Vermont manager Joe Brown said. “We found some gaps tonight which was fun. We were aggressive on the basepaths.”

After opening up an early 4-1 lead, Vermont sent 11 men to the plate in the fifth against against Danbury reliever Alex Person. Four of the six runs they put up came with two outs after a costly throwing error prolonged the inning.

Person was only charged with two earned runs, coming off of a Austin Cangelosi triple into right center and the other on a wild pitch. Cangelosi’s was a shot that had Danbury center fielder Joey Bartosic sprinting back off the bat.

It went downhill from there for the Westerners, as a routine throw from short that would’ve been the third out of the inning sailed wide to bring home a run. Hariston followed with a two-run double and Austin Clemons added a pinch-hit RBI single.

Danbury’s lone run came off a sacrifice fly by 2014 Mountaineer Trey West in the second. It was the lone run charged to Vermont starter Tim Knesnik, who went four innings in his first start of the season. He gave up three hits and issued a pair of walks, but struck out three.

Knesnik’s biggest out came in the second, as he got leadoff hitter Joey Bartosic, who entered with an eight-game hitting streak, to ground out to second with the bases loaded. He turned it over to Vermont’s bullpen, and they were lights out.

Three different relievers combined to hold Danbury to a lone hit over the final five innings, with all three making their summer debuts. Taylor Durand (1-0) retired all six batters he faced, Sean Leland worked around a walk for a quick inning and Colton Davis touched 90 on the gun while striking out three over two innings.

“Tim (Knesnik) hasn’t thrown in a while and he gave us four quality innings,” Brown continued. “All three of those guys just got here and we needed them to pitch to set them up, and that was special to see that.”

The Mountaineers bullpen now has a 1.50 ERA over 30 innings of work to open the year. They’re averaging more than a strikeout per inning and haven’t allowed an earned run over their last 13 innings.

Chris Morris (0-1) went 3 2/3 innings to take the loss for the Westerners. He struck out four while walking a pair and was charged with four runs.

Hariston’s three-run shot in the second turned an early 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead, and Morris let up another run on a wild pitch in the fourth.

Vermont’s lineup featured four newcomers, headlined by Hariston. Returnee Jack Parenty went 2-for-4 in his debut, while Riley Jackson reached base four times and Pat Madigan added a single and a run scored. Mainstay Thomas Roulis, who has played in every game this year, pushed his hit streak to a league-best eight games.

“You’re a little nervous with that, simply because they haven’t hit in awhile,” Brown said of the newcomers. “You could see that in there first at bats, except for Devin. Riley Jackson had a couple great at-bats, and as they get more at bats, they’re going to get more locked in.”

The win wrapped up a wet stretch of games for the Mountaineers, who had back-to-back games postponed to start the week. They extended their winning streak to three games and took over first place entering a two-game road trip. They travel to face Northern division foe North Adams today.

“We split some guys today and used two catchers,” Brown said of his strategy for the lengthy week ahead. “We just wanted to keep them fresh and manage it. All the pitchers who threw are staying behind to get there workouts in, we set our pitching up.”

Danbury remained winless on the season through their first nine games.

NECBL Power Rankings: Schooners streak hits 8

Tim Viehoff has been dominant for the Muskrats.
(Meredith Perri/MassLive)

Here are my first of many weekly power rankings, as teams in the NECBL are still trying to separate themselves from the pack and establish themselves as serious contenders. It's hard to tell who's got the advantage early, with the top five teams in each divisions all battling it out.

In order to put together this list, I'm taking into account several factors- last week's record, the quality of opponents, and recent performance beyond the last week as well. This is of course a fluid process, so teams will rise and fall each week.


1. Mystic Schooners (8-1)
After dropping their opener, Mystic has won eight straight games- including wins over talented teams. They rank first in ERA (1.69) and have a microscopic 1.20 ERA over their last five games- in which Ben Ruta is raking (.444 average).

2. Newport Gulls (6-2)
The defending champions opened the season 2-2, but have won four straight and already have four shutouts. Michael Mertz was named the pitcher of the week, striking out 10 over 10 scoreless innings across a pair of starts.

3. Laconia Muskrats (5-3)
Four straight wins has boosted Laconia from a 1-3, bottom of the standings start to leading the Northern Division. Starter Tim Viehoff has dazzled, striking out 18 over 13 scoreless innings. The lefty is holding opponents to a .070 average as well.


4. Vermont Mountaineers (4-3)
Vermont has won back-to-back games, powered by player of the week Thomas Roulis, and sit in a logjam at a half game back of first. Roulis leads the league in batting average (.581) by over 130 points. They rank fifth in ERA (2.61) and third in average (.269).


5. Ocean State Waves (4-3)
The Waves have also won a pair of games in a row and sit a game over .500, and rank near the middle of the pack in both hitting and pitching. Tim Lynch has slugged three home runs in the past five games, and is tied for the league lead.


6. North Adams SteepleCats (4-3)
Winners of three of their last five, North Adams has overcome a rough start to the season on the mound with strong offense. Joseph Burns is hitting .421 over the last five games and is tied for the league lead with nine RBIs.

7. Valley Blue Sox (4-3)
Valley remains tied for second in a crowded Northern Division picture after dropping two straight. Hitting just .199, the Blue Sox have struggled to provide run support for a pitching staff that has a 2.03 ERA. Bryan Goosens is 2-0 and hasn't allowed a run in 14 innings.

8. Sanford Mainers (4-5)
The Mainers boast one of the leagues best offenses (.287) but have been pulled down by a pitching staff that ranks 9th. They're hitting .320 in their last five games but still managed to go 2-3. Reliever Cody Dube has been dominant, with 19 strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings.

9. Plymouth Pilgrims (4-4)
Last year's best regular season team, Plymouth has opened the season an unassuming 4-4. They've won two against last-place Danbury and have also dropped two straight. Brent Rooker (nine RBIs) and Matt O'Neill (three HRs) both lead the league.

10. New Bedford Bay Sox (3-4)
After winning just 11 games last year, New Bedford burst out of the gate with three straight wins over Newport, Ocean State and Plymouth. They've since dropped four straight. Still, they're a middle of the pack team in both ERA and average.

11. Keene Swamp Bats (1-8)
Losers of three straight, Keene has continued to struggle to score runs. They're last in the league in runs (17 in nine games). Despite having no lead to protect, Keene's bullpen (1.50 ERA) has continued to dazzle. Zach Willeman has 11 strikeouts in just five innings.

12. Danbury Westerners (0-8)
Zachary Burger has slugged three home runs and knocked in eight runs, but the Westerners rank near the bottom in scoring. Combined with a 5.32 team ERA, Danbury is the only team remaining without a win. An ugly week ended with the team hitting just .191.