First place at stake for Muskrats, Mountaineers tonight

SNHU's Tim Viehoff starts the NECBL
All-Star Game for the North.

The Mountaineers and Muskrats square off for the first time in a week, and much has happened since that meeting. Laconia has dropped three of four but still sit atop the Northern Division, while Vermont has surged with five wins during a week-long stretch of games.

They enter tonight's game just a half-game behind the first-place Muskrats, as the sixth and final matchup between these two teams will decide who will lead the division moving forward.

That was then

The two rivals faced off on just the third game of the season, and a five-hit day from Thomas Roulis paired with excellent pitching powered Vermont to a 5-1 win. However, both teams went in different directions. The Mountaineers hovered around .500 up until the start of July while Laconia was the first team to 17 wins and built a big lead in the division.

The Muskrats swept three straight meetings in the middle of the season with Vermont by a combined score of 26-10, taking a resounding 3-1 lead in the season series.

This is now

Vermont responded very well to a weeklong stretch of games, winning five of seven- including wins over Laconia and Southern Division leading Newport. They've overcome a two-game skid and are 8-4 to open July, appearing to play their best baseball of the season.

Meanwhile, the Muskrats have dropped three of four but still hold a half-game lead on Vermont in the division. Offensively, they are in the top three in the NECBL in runs scored (153), home runs (19), RBIs (127), OBP (.349) and OPS (.736).

Returning stars

Dartmouth's Thomas Roulis leads the NECBL
in batting average for Vermont. /Dartmouth Sports

One reason for Vermont's success has been the play of NECBL veterans Casey Brown and Roulis. Roulis has been sidelined with a nagging injury the past week, but he has somehow improved on his All-Star season with Plymouth in 2014 by returning to lead the league in average (.467).

Likewise, Brown, a SteepleCat in 2013, has posted career-best numbers as a member of the talented Mountaineers pitching staff. An All-Star, Brown is 3-1 with a 1.10 ERA while limiting opposing batters to just a .208 clip.

Another returnee has stood out for Laconia as well- third baseman Braxton Martinez. After a temporary contract at the Cape, Martinez has picked up right where he left off in 2014. The two-time All-Star is one of seven Muskrats hitters who are traveling to Sanford for this year's midsummer classic.

Lowlights

A 2-5 skid near the end of June, including a three-game losing streak, knocked the Mountaineers below .500. It took two weeks to get back over .500, as they alternated wins and losses in a frustrating manner.

Laconia also struggled as June wound down, dropping four straight but responded well. They've hit a rough patch lately as well, losers of three of their last four games.

Highlights

Vermont took three of four during their last homestand, showcasing resiliency after falling behind early in their last two wins. The pitching carried the Mountaineers through much of June, but the bats have come alive late. The middle infield duo of Garrett Copeland and Roulis were also named starters for the North All-Star team.

Two four-game winning streaks, as well as a five-game stretch, has allowed Laconia to hold on to first place for much of the summer. Having eight players named to the All-Star game, including the starting pitcher in Tim Viehoff, is another highlight. It's a hard lineup to face.

Scenario

It's very simple. If the Mountaineers win and beat Keene tomorrow, they'll enter the All-Star break on a four-game winning streak and in sole possession of first place in the Northern Division by a half-game at the very least.

A Laconia victory would knock Vermont back, and the Muskrats would most likely keep hold of the No. 1 spot entering Sunday's All-Star Game. They play Sanford tomorrow in a must-win game as well but are just 1-2 against the Mainers this summer.