Game 45 Recap: Mountaineers miss playoffs

Vermont manager Joe Brown and Trevor Ezell discuss strategy during the 3-1 loss. 

For the first time since 2010, the Vermont Mountaineers will watch from afar as the New England Collegiate Baseball League postseason gets underway.

The Mountaineers, who rallied from a 2-11 start to the summer, ended the regular season in a four-way tie for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Northern Division. The league’s bizarre tiebreakers resulted in a four-team, three-game mini-tournament, and Vermont fell, 3-1, to the Keene Swamp Bats on Wednesday afternoon.

In front of a surprisingly big crowd for a weekday game, the Mountaineers left eight runners on base as a lengthy season came to the end. Entering with just three pitchers available after a doubleheader in Upper Valley on Tuesday, Vermont couldn’t back a strong pitching performance from Kevin Kernan as the Swamp bats earned the right to advance to Wednesday night’s tiebreaker finale against the Nighthawks.

The playoff tiebreaker will be remembered for its share of controversy. Winnipesaukee, who lost to Upper Valley in the other play-in, trotted out their third basemen to start on the mound. Vermont had a pitcher play right field, and coaches and viewers across the country questioned the league’s decision. Nobody has been more opinionated on the matter, however, then Mountaineers manager Joe Brown.

Vermont entered Wednesday with a 19-25 record but won the head-to-head season series with all three of the teams they were tied with.

“Quite honestly, I felt we should’ve been in the playoffs,” Brown said. “I talked with a lot of people, including my college administrator, and they were wondering what were doing to kids. I even had a couple college coaches call me concerned about their players, and that was something we had to be cautious with today.”

The Mountaineers roster was decimated, as is the case with many teams throughout the NECBL. Still, the league’s newly created four-team tiebreaker resulted in additional work for teams that were left grasping for players. The league’s decision angered Brown, who might not return for a fifth year with the Mountaineers.

“This organization has been amazing and the best one I’ve ever been involved with,” Brown said. “It could be time for someone else to maybe come in (and manage). I love the Mountaineers and the people I’ve met, but I’m not philosophically aligned with the league.”

“Until changes are made, I’m not sure I could be a part of that,” he added. “It’s way bigger than me, it’s about the kids. I coach for the kids. The NCAA is about the best interest of student athletes; so should summer leagues.”

Brown’s Mountaineers fell behind 2-0 in the third inning, as Aubrey McCarty dropped a RBI single to center field and Patrick Sullivan added a sacrifice fly. The Swamp Bats tacked on a late insurance run in the sixth when Ryan Costello launched a leadoff home run.

Kernan took the loss in his first start of the summer, scattering six hits and a walk over six innings. Sean Callahan threw a scoreless seventh in the defeat.

Keene got a stellar start from southpaw Ryan Avidano, who threw 4 1/3 in the win. He struck out seven and worked around two walks and four hits. Carmen Giampetruzzi recorded two outs, and Ivon Clough threw a scoreless sixth before running into trouble. He gave up a one-out RBI double to Trevor Ezell and the tying run came to the plate, but Michael Pastore relieved him and got two quick outs for the save.

Vermont last missed the playoffs in 2010, when they went 15-27.

Keene went on to fall, 5-0, to Upper Valley in the nightcap.

Game 43/44 Recap: Mountaineers split double-header, results in four-way tie

Vermont center fielder Joe Tietjen avoids a tag at the plate during the Mountaineers 11-4 Game 1 win.

On a night where the teams lingered at the ballpark for half an hour after the final pitch to hear their fate, the prevailing story was one of weariness and frustration.

Directed at the league’s tiebreaker, four tired teams will rise bright and early Wednesday morning to play games at noon in the start of a four-team, three-game, two-location playdown — just for the right to travel to take on top-seeded Sanford as the fourth and final playoff team in the North.

For Vermont, Upper Valley, Keene, and Winnipesaukee, it’s a frustrating end to a long and winding regular season. In a league plagued by turnover, having to continue a brutal stretch of games entering the postseason is a steep task. They’ll be immediately at a disadvantage in the first round of the playoffs, as well, with the potential of having played five games in three days.

Mountaineers manager Joe Brown, who’s voiced his opinion during an interview earlier this season, didn’t hold back in a postgame talk — as he rightfully shouldn’t.

“It’s absurd and it needs to change,” Brown said of the NECBL’s tiebreaker. “You’re not doing these young men any favors and the quality of play is diminished. It’s not complaining, it’s about getting it right. Get it right. How many times do you have to do the same thing over and over and realize it’s totally silly?”

“That’s why people aren’t coming to our league right now,” Brown added. “It’s why we’re having issues with getting players.”

Brown’s Mountaineers split a doubleheader with Upper Valley. CVU high school graduate Rayne Supple took a no-hitter into the sixth in the opener, backed by an offensive outburst as Vermont rolled to an 11-4 win. In the nightcap, runs were few and far between, and a wild pitch was the deciding factor as the Nighthawks took a 2-1 win.

The split, paired with Winnipesaukee’s 13-inning loss at the hands of No. 1 overall seed Mystic, results in four teams tied with identical 19-25 records. However, instead of looking at the head-to-head record, which Vermont has an unmatched 9-6 mark, the league dictates a four-team playdown.

Vermont will host Keene at 12 p.m., while Upper Valley takes on the Muskrats. The winners will travel to the top seed at 6:30 p.m. for the decisive playdown. Vermont and Upper Valley are the top two seeds, followed by Winnipesaukee and Keene.

“We basically have beat head-to-head every single team we have to play again which is absurd,” Brown continued. “It’s something I’ve never heard of in my life. Whether it be for Upper Valley or Winnipesaukee, somehow we could have tiebreakers for teams 1-2-3, but teams 4-5-6 have to keep playing.”

“Might as well have teams one and two just go on and play the championship,” he finished.

How the pitching lines up will be the big storyline tomorrow, as both Winnipesaukee and Vermont are coming off double-digit innings. Brown addressed the situation further, simply stating he had no idea who would start tomorrow.

Supple lifted the Mountaineers in Game 1, baffling the Nighthawks. He worked around two errors and pair of hit batsmen to hold Upper Valley hitless until Joey Denison's leadoff double in the sixth inning. Supple gave up a one-out single but induced an inning-ending double play to polish off six scoreless innings.

He was backed by more than enough run support, as Vermont chased Nighthawks starter Joseph Levasseur after recording just four outs. The Mountaineers scored three in the first, five in the second, and added one in the third and two more in the fourth for the resounding 11-4 win.

Trevor Ezell, Joe Tietjen, and Will Morgan all turned in multi-hit games. Morgan went 2-for-3, driving in three runs with a double, a single, and a stolen base. Tietjen had a two-run double in the second as well.

Levasseur took the loss, allowing five runs, three earned, on four hits. Reliever Mike Coss coughed up four runs and recorded just two outs, and Billy Layne gave up two in 1 1/3. Cordes Baker, however, was unhittable out of the Nighthawks pen. He threw 3 2/3, striking out three and not allowing a hit.

Supple dominanted in Game 1.

Upper Valley scored all four runs against Mountaineers first basemen Mikael Mogues, who had a go of it on the mound. He recorded one out, giving up RBI singles to Walker Grisanti, Eric Leitch, and Austin Embler, as well as a sacrifice fly to Joey Denison. Sean Callahan recorded two quick outs in relief of the big left-hander.

Vermont’s offense slowed in Game 2 against Nighthawks southpaw Wes Engle, who spun a gem. He walked Ezell to open the game, and the Mountaineers speedy third basemen stole two bats and scored on a dropped third strike. After that, however, Engle was dominant. He struck out a season-high 10 in 5 1/3, working around four hits to allow the lone run.

Mountaineers starter Fitz Stadler retired eight of the first nine batters he faced but ran into trouble in the fourth. He walked Embler, gave up a double to Al Molina, and Charlie Colcannon came up with a one-out bloop single. It just kicked off the outstretched glove of Vermont second basemen Jeremy Giles, who was sprinting back into the outfield and couldn’t come up with it.

Stadler limited the damage, however, stranding the bases loaded. Upper Valley would ultimately break the 1-1 tie in the sixth against Vermont reliever Chandler Sedat. Sedat, the team’s top arm, hit Denison with one out. A single from Concannon moved Denison to third, and he came home on a wild pitch for the decisive run.

Upper Valley reliever Nick Jones polished off the win, retiring four of the final five batters he faced.

“We swung the bats well, but it’s a completely different game and you have to try to turn the page quickly,” Brown said of the difference. “They had a lefty who threw great, and then they had Jones and we knew that. We competed and had chances. I’m proud of the guys. They came down here after a day off and split.”

Game 42 Recap: Blue Sox 3, Mountaineers 1

Christian Isbell hurled eight strong innings
in a tough loss. He struck out six. 

For the second straight night in a row, one inning doomed the Vermont Mountaineers.

Searching for a win to keep pace with the likes of Winnipesaukee and Keene, Vermont jumped ahead in the first frame, but the combination of a three-run second and strong pitching from the Valley Blue Sox resulted in a disappointing 3-1 loss.

The Mountaineers fell to 18-24 and sit tied with the Upper Valley Nighthawks for sixth place. They’re both a game out of fourth place, as Winnipesaukee rolled to a win over North Adams last night. Now, Vermont’s playoff fate will be decided on the last day of the season.

Monday’s scheduled doubleheader against the Nighthawks was to Tuesday due to rain. To make the playoffs, Vermont needs a combination of things to happen. If they sweep the doubleheader, Winnipesaukee needs to lose one of their last two games against either Valley or Mystic, as the Mountaineers hold the tiebreaker.

If Vermont splits the doubleheader, they’ll need both Keene and Winnipesaukee to lose all of their remaining games. The Swamp Bats play in Newport tonight. If Vermont is swept by Upper Valley, they’re officially eliminated from the playoffs.

For a 13-year-old franchise, just a year removed from their third championship in team history, sneaking in on the last day of the season is an unfamiliar situation. Vermont won the division in the regular season each of the past two years, securing home field advantage all the way through the league championship series. Now, they’re fighting to just get in, and would be playing much of the postseason on the road.

Sunday’s loss to the Blue Sox didn’t help their cause. Vermont starter Christian Isbell hurled eight innings, retiring nine of the last 10 batters he faced. However, a pair of walks and two hits in the third allowed Valley to take the lead for good.

A strong start from left-hander Greg Jacnewitz, paired with two innings apiece from reliever Conor Donovan and Sam Donko allowed the Blue Sox to hold Vermont in check. Jacnewitz gave up a two-out RBI single to Ryan Fineman in the first inning, but it was all the Mountaineers would manage.

Jacnewitz threw five innings, striking out six and scattering six hits. Donovan bridged the gap to the eighth with a pair of scoreless innings, striking out three and stranding a runner at third. Donko, finally, recorded his sixth save. He retired the first four batters he faced, then worked around a pair of baserunners in the ninth.

Trailing 1-0, the Blue Sox got to work in the second. After going 1-2-3 in the first, Chris Starch and Mark Grunberg each drew walks with one out. Zach Goldstein doubled in a run, and Kipp Moore poked a two-run single in the hole to break the tie.

Isbell would respond by allowing just three hits over the final six innings while striking out five, but Vermont’s woes with runners on base continued. They out-hit Valley, 8-6, but left eight runners on base. It was similar to Saturday’s loss to North Adams, where they stranded 12 runners in a one-run loss. Vermont’s average has dipped to .250 with runners in scoring position, a mark below the league average.

It was a tough loss, and it put’s considerable pressure on Tuesday’s doubleheader. Tonight, Mountaineers fans should tune in as Winnipesaukee visits Valley and Keene travels to Newport. Both games begin at 6:30 p.m. Vermont will be rooting for the home team in both matchups.

Game 41 Recap: SteepleCats 4, Mountaineers 3

Michael Fairchild hurled a complete game, but was a tough-luck loser thanks to five Vermont errors.

In a flashback to the shaky start to the season for the Mountaineers, Vermont struggled with runners in scoring position and had errors come back to haunt them in a disappointing 4-3 loss at the hands of the visiting North Adams SteepleCats Saturday night.

With the bases loaded for the SteepleCats in the fifth in a tied game, Mountaineers left fielder Keegan Meyn misplayed the bounce on a run-scoring single, then airmailed a throw into the North Adams bullpen attempting to catch a runner taking third. Both errors brought in runs on a three-run play, and the SteepleCats built a 4-1 lead that would hold up against a Vermont rally.

The loss, Vermont’s fifth of the season at the hands of North Adams, dropped the team into a three-way tie for the fourth playoff spot in the Northern Division. Currently jockeying with Upper Valley, Winnipesaukee, and Keene in a race to the postseason, Vermont’s fifth straight loss at home allowed the Muskrats and Nighthawks to pull even. Winnipesaukee knocked off Valley, 5-3, while Upper Valley had the night off.

The loss makes things more difficult for Joe Brown’s club. Instead of entering their final three games alone in fourth, Vermont is now stuck in a three-way tie. The Mountaineers, Muskrats, and Nighthawks all have three games remaining, with Vermont and Upper Valley squaring off in a doubleheader on Monday. It’s a tremendously close division, and this level of parity has made for intense competition down the stretch.

Vermont jumped ahead 1-0 in the first inning, as Trevor Ezell drew a leadoff walk against SteepleCats ace Braxton Wilks and came around to score on Mikael Mogues’ single. It was all they would manage against Wilks, however, who worked in and out of trouble.

The All-Star southpaw walked seven and gave up four hits in five innings of work, but came away with his NECBL-best seventh win of the summer. Vermont loaded the bases with nobody out in the third, but Wilks induced a pop-up then struck out Will Morgan and Meyn back-to-back.

Vermont starter Michael Fairchild worked around several jams, but ran into trouble in the fifth. A double, a hit batsmen and a single loaded the bases, setting up Meyn’s blunder. Fairchild rallied to go four more strong innings, turning in a complete-game effort. The right-hander went a season-high nine innings, scattering eight hits and a walk while striking out four. He was a tough-luck loser, as a shaky Mountaineers defense committed five errors behind him.

Fairchild’s strong rest of the game enabled the Mountaineers to work back into it against the SteepleCats bullpen, though. Catcher Ryan Fineman greeted reliever Josh Simpson with a one-out home run to left field in the sixth, launching a shot that was easily gone off the bat. A costly passed ball from SteepleCats catcher John Mazza allowed another run to come across against Simpson, as Trevor Ezell scored third and alertly swiped home as well when Mazza couldn’t locate the ball at his feet.

However, the SteepleCats hunkered down. Andrew Camiolo worked around a one-out single in the seventh with a pair of strikeouts, and right-hander Brian Stepniak threw two scoreless innings. He gave up a two-out double in the ninth, but induced a game-ending flyout from Meyn. There was miscommunication between two SteepleCats, but left fielder Nick Riotto made a diving catch to end the game.

The loss dropped Vermont to 18-23. North Adams jumped into the second spot in the Northern standings after Valley dropped a doubleheader, improving to 23-19.

Game 40 Recap: Mountaineers 10, Muskrats 4

TJ Santiago went 7 2/3 in the win, his fourth straight start of 5+ IP. 

Spotless defense, strong hitting, and good pitching. Seems like a pretty straightforward recipe for success, and that’s the complete team effort the Vermont Mountaineers turned in on Friday night, rolling to a 10-4 win over the Winnipesaukee Muskrats to take over sole possession of the fourth and final playoff spot.

The Mountaineers piled up 15 hits, breaking out of a recent mini-slump that saw them enter last  night’s slugfest having scored just seven runs in their previous four games combined. Starter TJ Santiago continued to establish himself as one of the team’s most reliable pitchers, allowing three runs over seven-plus innings in his fourth straight of at least five innings.

Will Morgan went 4-for-5 with a two-run home run, Jeremy Giles had a two-run shot of his own, and Slade Heggen, Michael Osinski, and Mikael Mogues all turned in multi-hit efforts. Entering the ninth with a three-run lead, Vermont broke it open, scoring four runs against a pair of Muskrats relievers.

The win was pivotal for Vermont, who improved to 18-22 and put a game between themselves and the Muskrats. Upper Valley knocked off Valley, however, keeping pace and pulling a half-game within the Mountaineers. Monday’s doubleheader between the league’s two Vermont franchises will potentially be huge.

Vermont built a 6-3 lead and it appeared it would hold up behind Santiago and reliever Chandler Sedat, but the Mountaineers offense added some for good measure. Osinski, Morgan, and Heggen all had RBI singles, while Heggen came around to score his third run of the game on a wild pitch.

The Mountaineers jumped ahead 3-0 early, with leadoff hitter Trevor Ezell singling and coming around to score on a Mogues RBI single in the first. A costly fielding error, one of four on the day for the league’s best defense, set up Giles two-run home run.

Winnipesaukee answered in the second against Santiago, as Michael Alescio singled in a run, but Vermont stayed ahead. Joe Tietjen brought in a run with a single in the fourth, and the Muskrats Ryan Stekl hit a solo shot to answer in the bottom of the frame.

Muskrats starter Cain Spangler, making his first start after serving as a closer for much of the season, began to labor in the late innings. He worked a 1-2-3 sixth with three groundouts, but walked Mogues in the seventh and was chased when Morgan launched a two-run shot.

Spangler took the loss, allowing six runs, three earned, on 11 hits and a walk. He struck out six over 6 1/3.

Santiago eventually left with two outs in the eighth after giving up his second home run of the game, a solo shot to Anthony Maselli. Sedat gave up a run on a fielders choice in the ninth, but it was too little, too late for Winnipesaukee.

Santiago got the win, allowing three runs on seven hits with two walks, striking out nine. Sedat threw 1 1/3 innings in relief, allowing a run while striking out one.

Vermont returns to action tonight, hosting the North Adams SteepleCats. The SteepleCats, in the three-spot, were dealt a tough, 13-inning loss to Sanford. North Adams took an 8-2 lead into the ninth, but Sanford rallied for six runs to tie, then won in the 13th on an infield single.

North Adams shut out Vermont, 10-0, on Tuesday. The SteepleCats are a perfect 4-0 against the Mountaineers this summer, and they’re looking to finish off the season sweep.

Game 39 Recap: Blue Sox 5, Mountaineers 3

Joe Rocchietti (2) retired the first 11 batters he faced, but a costly error derailed a strong start.

Pitching for the first time in eight days, Vermont right-hander Joe Rocchietti retired the first 11 Valley Blue Sox he faced, allowing just one ball to escape the infield as he was cruising. In an unfortunate flashback to the start of the season, errors did him in.

With the Mountaineers up 2-0, Rocchietti induced a two-out groundball to third, but a bad throw proved costly. It allowed Hezekiah Randolph to coast into second, and he scored a batter later on a single from Erik Ostberg. Rocchietti was touched up for three more runs, two earned, and left after five innings in Vermont’s fourth straight loss, a disappointing 5-3 decision at the hands of the Blue Sox.

It dropped the Mountaineers into a tie for the fourth playoff spot with Winnipesaukee, also 17-22, and the two teams meet in a pivotal game tonight. Vermont will look to shake off their recent offensive struggles, as the normally potent offense has been held to three runs or less in all four games of this losing streak, a far cry from the 10-1 drubbing they put on Ocean State under a week ago.

Upper Valley lurks in fifth, just a half-game back of the two teams. Keene is only a game back but faces a steep uphill battle with a difficult schedule looming. It’s an incredible level of parity, and it sets up a tight finish in the Northern Division.

Vermont backed Rocchetti early, getting to Blue Sox starter Travis Booth in the third inning. Booth, who gave up three hits and two walks with three strikeouts over four innings, struggled to keep Mountaineers off the bases. The leadoff hitter reached against him in three of his four frames, but he managed to work out of a few jams.


He gave up a bloop RBI single to Michael Osinski and issued a bases-loaded walk to Slade Heggen, but managed to induce a double play to escape the threat. The Mountaineers were held in check after that, stranding runners in scoring position twice and even having a runner thrown out trying to steal.

Will Morgan managed a RBI groundout in the eighth against Valley reliever Liam Carter, but Blue Sox closer Sam Donko shut the door. He worked around a two-out single, getting Joe Tietjen to go down swinging to close out his fifth save of the summer. Luke Crabb bridged the gap to the middle innings, scattering two hits while striking out four in three scoreless innings of relief.

Rocchietti was at just 33 pitches with two outs in the fourth, but the costly error got him out of the groove. He gave up a two-run double to Kyle Mottice in the fifth after giving up a pair of hits and exited after the leadoff hitter reached against him in the fifth.

Reliever Kevin Kernan allowed the inherited runner to score on a RBI single from Kipp Moore, then gave up a run-scoring double to Randolph. He settled down after Randolph’s hit, however, retiring the final five batters he faced. He struck out six and scattered four hits over three innings of relief.

Today, the Mountaineers look to start something new. The offense has been in a brief funk, as the usual characters are struggling mightily. Over the last five games, the team is hitting just .224, with a majority of the hits coming from guys who were quiet early. Tietjen (.190), Keegan Meyn (0-for-10), and Mikael Mogues (.133) have all slowed down.

A week ago, they were one game under .500 and looking like they were going to start to pull away and easily take the fourth playoff spot. That was before a four-game losing streak that has made this final four-day stretch a tough one for Vermont. With five games, four of which are away, the Mountaineers need to hunker down. Every win counts at this point, and it starts with tonight’s game in Winnipesaukee. First pitch at 6:05 p.m.

Game 37+38 Recap: Mountaineers swept in home doubleheader

Vermont's Mikael Mogues can't reel in a throw in the first game of the doubleheader.

A week ago, I wrote a story about the three-way race for the fourth playoff spot in the Northern Division, looking at Vermont, Winnipesaukee, and Keene. I didn’t even mention the Upper Valley Nighthawks, who were 2 1/2 games back out of the three-team tie. The Nighthawks have since responded by winning three of four, the lone loss coming to the second-place Valley Blue Sox.

Upper Valley has pulled into a tie for fifth with Winnipesaukee, sitting just a half game back of the Vermont Mountaineers. Keene is a half game back of both of them, having dropped four in a row.

The Mountaineers have made the playoffs for five straight years and won the Northern Division each of the past two summers. This season began a forgetful 2-11 start, and Vermont is still shaking off the rust. They were swept in back-to-back nine inning games Tuesday night, losing an uncovential doubleheader to Upper Valley and North Adams. Vermont still holds a playoff spot, but they’re clinging to it. The in-state rival Nighthawks are closing fast.

Game 1: Upper Valley 6, Vermont 3

Upper Valley pitcher-turned-catcher Brian Lau drilled a solo home run with one out in the ninth inning, and a costly error led to a two-run shot from Al Molina three batters later as the Nighthawks came away with a 6-3 win in a rare day game.

Lau, a catcher with Saint Joseph’s, entered Tuesday having thrown 12 2/3 innings with the Nighthawks, and was just 1-for-12 (.083) in limited action in the lineup. Facing Mountaineers reliever Christian Isbell, Lau took the first pitch he saw and deposited it over the fence in left. Molina followed with a two-run home run of his own, capping a back-and-forth game between two evenly matched squads.

The star of the day was arguably Upper Valley reliever Nick Jones, a sidearming right-hander who threw five scoreless innings in his longest outing of the summer. Jones scattered three hits and a walk, striking out three in his 19th appearance for the Nighthawks. Lowering his ERA to 0.68 over almost 27 innings, Jones has established himself as one of the league’s best relievers, going 2-2 with four saves.

Vermont jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third against Nighthawks starter Houston Mabray via a sacrifice fly from Joe Tietjen, but it proved to be short-lived. Upper Valley struck for two runs against Vermont’s Jonathan Stiever in the fourth, as James Morisano lined a RBI single and Charlie Concannon tripled.

The Nighthawks added a run on a RBI single from Molina in the fourth, but Vermont answered both times. Ryan Fineman had a RBI single in the third, and Trevor Ezell drew a walk and eventually came around to score on an error by the third basemen. With two runners on and nobody out, the Mountaineers were threatening for more, but Jones entered and quickly recorded three outs. He set down eight of the first nine he faced in relief.

Isbell worked out of trouble when he replaced Stiever with two runners on and nobody out in the seventh. Stiever tied his longest start of the summer, allowing three runs on seven hits, two walks, and four strikeouts. Isbell worked a 1-2-3 eighth, but gave up three runs in the final frame.

Vermont put two runners on against Jones in the ninth via back-to-back singles from Fineman and Daniel Little, but stranded both after two strikeouts looking.

Game 2: North Adams 10, Vermont 0

A blowout loss followed in the nightcap, as the Mountaineers mustered just two hits and North Adams continued to roll, winning their fourth straight game behind a 15-hit attack. Batters two-through-six in the SteepleCats lineup enjoyed strong days, led by third basemen C.J. Price, who went 4-for-5 with three runs and three RBIs.

Four North Adams pitchers combined to hurl a two-hitter, with starter Ben Olson going five scoreless innings without allowing a hit. Reliever Josh Simpson lost the no-hit bid in the seventh, as pinch-hitter Davis Feldman led off the frame with a single to right field. It was Feldman’s first hit of the season in 13 at bats as the Eastern Michigan product is a member of the Mountaineers pitching staff.

The Vermont duo of Sean Callahan and Rayne Supple combined to allow 10 runs, seven earned, in the loss. Callahan gave up nine hits and six runs over 4 1/3, while Supple was tagged for six and four over 4 2/3. Supple retired eight of the final nine batters he faced, a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing day.

Not Adams jumped ahead 2-0 in the second behind a sacrifice fly from Kyle Brennan and Nick Riotto. A two-base error on Vermont first basemen Mikael Mogues brought in a run in the third, and the SteepleCats chased Callahan in the fifth.

The first three runners reached against him on singles, loading the bases for Price. Vermont manager Joe Brown went to his bullpen, and Supple was greeted rudely by Price, who doubled in a pair of runs. John Mazza and Brennan followed with RBI singles, pushing the lead to seven.

They finished off the scoring on a RBI single from Noah Vaugan, a double from Price, and a productive groundout from leadoff hitter Daniel Holst.

Olson got the win, issuing a lone walk and striking out three. Simpson, Jared Habershaw, and Andrew Camiolo combined to throw four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out one.

Vermont’s other hit was by Daniel Little, but he was erased via a 6-4-3 double play. Vermont grounded into three double plays and didn’t have a runner reach third in the shutout loss, their first of the summer.

Grueling schedule for boys of summer

Brown has been the Mountaineers manager for four summers now, and previously spent two years in Sanford.

If you look at the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s transaction logs, they’re crowded with releases and acquisitions as teams across the league are scrambling to fill rosters to make postseason runs. Top pitchers are shut down, and teams are left struggling to look for any talent they can. It’s a troubling trend across summer leagues, and no man is better suited to explain it than Vermont manager and SUNY-Cortland head coach Joe Brown, who’s in his fourth year with the Mountaineers and sixth in the league.

Having coached in 2006 and 2008 with the Sanford Mainers, Brown has seen plenty of change across the league, including a decrease in the pitching talent as well as the domino effect that a longer spring season, too many leagues and a lengthy summer schedule have caused.

“It’s two parts,” Brown said while sitting in his dugout a few hours before a game. “There’s too many leagues and too long a schedule. Twenty years ago, it wouldn’t have been a problem. Omaha (the D-I championship) was done at the start of June, and now they’re going to July.”

With some of the top talent playing with their college teams through the first half of the NECBL season, it’s hard to get some of the mid-level players that now spend extended time in the Cape Cod League that features elite college players. The Cape used to sign players to 10-day temporary contracts, then released them when players from the top Division I programs arrived. Now, however, they’re playing a month in the Cape and will often go home instead of joining a league like the NECBL.

Brown and Mountaineers general manager Brian Gallagher were able to secure four players from the Cape, a noticeable haul in a league that has had its fair share of problems with filling rosters over the past year. Keeping a close eye on the transactions log, the duo signed catcher Slade Heggen and All-Star outfielder Joe Tietjen a day apart midway through June. The Mountaineers added second basemen Trevor Ezell and right-hander Michael Fairchild at the end of the month. All four players have had played pivotal roles on the team, as the three position players are everyday starters and Fairchild went seven-plus innings in his last start.

Still, the change in the temporary contracts has been a big problem for NECBL teams, and it’s directly related to the college season. The D-I baseball tournament ended June 30 this year, compared to 15 years ago when the final was played June 16. That two-week difference is huge for summer collegiate leagues, and it’s made it hard for leagues like the NECBL to find players. For Brown, it’s frustrating as the league has yet to address the problem.

“What’s the No. 1 resource for the league?” Brown asked rhetorically, then answered emphatically. “Players. The No. 1 resource is players, and if you have constant turnover with the roster, then that’s an issue. Address it. You either solve the problem or continually have the problem.”

Brown advocates for a shorter schedule, proposing that the league wrap up at the start of August instead of midway through the month. Cape players on temporary contracts are often just going home after a month because 20-plus games are enough for them, but the NECBL is still trying to play a 44-game schedule. For student-athletes from Southern areas whose schools start as early as Aug. 10th, it’s an easily noticeable problem.

“You have to take care of your vital resources,” Brown said. “You’re not coddling them, you’re adjusting based on the culture out there. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If you’ve watched the league the last three or four years, that’s the issue. It’s the same thing.”

The Mountaineers went through almost 50 players last season, losing talent for a variety of reasons. The constant roster turnover is related to the schedule length, both in the spring and the summer, as well as the abundance of summer leagues. It’s grown from three or four to over 30 different leagues, resulting in a decrease in the talent pool. The decrease in pitching talent has been noticeable for Brown, who won a championship almost 10 years ago with the Sanford Mainers.

“There wasn’t a guy on my staff not throwing below 90 (miles per hour)”, Brown said. “That was because the college season wasn’t so long, so teams were sending out their best guys. You’re not getting all the best guys now, you’re getting redshirt freshmen who haven’t pitched much. Guys like Rayne Supple, (Christian) Isbell, and (Fitzpatrick) Stadler who need to develop after not logging many hours.”

Brown’s own pitchers at SUNY-Cortland have been in high demand. He received 10-plus phone calls and texts in the last week asking for pitchers on his staff, including inquiries from leagues such as the Valley League and Hamptons League. The same problem many NECBL teams face are abundant across the country, including in the Cape — the most well-known and established summer league in the country. Last summer, a few teams on the Cape in the playoff hunt had to resort to using pitchers in their starting batting order.

Facing this problem, Brown has managed his pitchers cautiously to ensure he’ll have enough pitchers down the stretch. If you look at how many innings his pitchers have thrown this summer, the highest is 29-plus and the lowest is 12-plus. He hasn’t leaned on one pitcher heavily and has been well aware of pitch counts and ensuring that nobody gets shut down early. Working with assistant coaches Keith Andrews and Austin Clock, Brown uses an Excel spreadsheet to map out his pitching moving forward, looking to match pitchers up with teams they haven’t faced yet to give them a slight edge. He cited the midway point of the season as when strategy truly comes into play, looking to find the little ways to gain an advantage.

And it’s worked, as Vermont entered Monday’s action with a pitching staff that leads the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio and FIP, or fielder-independent pitching, both categories that are darlings of the sabermetric crowd. With plenty of experience managing, Brown has been able to counter the pitching problems many teams have faced.

Division rival Keene saw staff ace Tommy Doyle, who started the NECBL All-Star Game, shut down for the rest of the season. They lost Doyle, who piled up 33 innings over five starts, and have since gone 1-4 and are currently in position to miss out on a playoff spot. A similar story has played out throughout the league, which is why Brown believes that anybody with rested arms will be able to win. Brown has worked to ensure he has rested pitching, using a different approach than a traditional rotation.

“A guy gets a start, then five days later he goes to the bullpen,” Brown said. “We made a commitment for guys to get starts and we’re honoring that, but not overworking anyone. That’s allowed kids like Joe Rocchietti and Jonathan Stiever to be healthy and strong now, otherwise they’d be going home two weeks ago.”

Brown’s Mountaineers are entering a pivotal stretch during the final week of the regular season as they cling to the fourth-and-final playoff berth in the Northern Division. Supported by pitching depth that many other teams lack, Vermont is in a position to make a run in the postseason. Following a final day off Wednesday, the Mountaineers are poised to make a final push in hopes of defending their 2015 title.

At the same time, other teams without much pitching continue to plummet.

Mastroianni a master of travel for past decade

Darin Mastroianni high fives teammate Ben Revere during an August 2012 game against the Boston Red Sox.
Getty Images

The journeyman is a perpetual fixture of Major League Baseball, and no player proves this better than Twins right fielder Darin Mastroianni.

Mastroianni, who played two years with the Vermont Mountaineers 10 years ago, has gone on to play for four different organizations over a nine-year professional career that has featured teams located in New Hampshire to Venezuela.

For Mastroianni, who’s played seven games with the Minnesota Twins this year but spent the majority of the season in Triple-A Rochester, it has been tough.

“It isn’t fun and I don’t enjoy it at all,” Mastroianni said of moving around a lot. “It’s just part of the job description.”

Currently with the Twins organization, Mastroianni is finding success with Rochester in his fourth stint with the team. He has a batting average of .269, an on-base percentage of .341 and a slugging percentage of .321 in 43 games, and Mastroianni has also swiped six bases and scored 18 runs. It’s a familiar place for the former Mountaineers standout, who has played in nearly 850 games with 12 teams over his minor league career. He’s spent 136 games in the majors and has gotten used to moving back and forth.

“It’s what you imagine,” Mastroianni said of the difference between the MLB and the lesser divisions. “The big leagues are national and Triple-A isn’t as publicized. If you screw up or do something great in Minnesota, it’s all over ESPN. But if you do it in Rochester, virtually nobody knows about it - good or bad. The pressure isn’t as much, but if you want to get back to the big leagues you have to play great here.”

The path to his current Triple-A location has been a long and winding road that has spanned nine years, two continents and found different MLB clubs. It’s a story that paints a vivid picture of the struggles and success baseball players face in pursuit of reaching the coveted highest level. For Mastroianni, that started with the Mountaineers all the way back in 2004 - the beginning of a two-year summer career.

After playing just five games his freshmen season for Winthrop, Mastroianni arrived in Vermont ready to compete. He finished second on the team in batting average (.299) and runs (23) while drawing a team-high 17 walks. It helped him when he transferred to D-II Southern Indiana, where he slugged his way to a .323 average and returned to Vermont the following summer. He swiped a team-high 20 bases in 21 attempts during his second stint in The Green Mountain State, hitting .212 in 34 games.

Summer collegiate baseball is pivotal for players development, but Mastroianni’s best moments with the Mountaineers were spent with his host family.

“I was fortunate enough to live with two great people in Nancy Andreoletti and Fred Stone,” he said.

Stone passed away a few weeks ago, which was sad news for Mastroianni.

“My time in Vermont was highlighted by those two people, and they were easily the best part of it all for me and that’s what made the experience special,” he said

A 16th-round draft pick by the Toronto Blue Jays, Mastroianni spent a year apiece with Short-Season A affiliate Auburn and Full-Season A affiliate Lansing. In 2009, he split time with Double-A New Hampshire and Advanced-A Dunedin.

He played 13 games in the Arizona Fall League, an off-season league that takes the top six prospects from each team and divides them into six teams. He continued to jump around, spending 2010 in New Hampshire before enjoying a productive winter in Venezuela with Zulia, a baseball team there.

Zulia is a franchise in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League and has featured players like Colorado Rockies starter Carlos Gonzalez. Mastroianni enjoyed his time there so much he went back two more times, playing 93 games and hitting .300 over three years with the club.

“It was a highlight of my career,” he said. “I enjoyed living and playing there. They have a great culture and attitude towards baseball. It was some of the most fun I’ve ever had playing baseball.”

Mastroianni returned from his successful winter and climbed to Triple-A before making his Major League debut Aug. 24, 2011. After the Blue Jays finalized a trade that freed up a roster space, Mastroianni was called up to bat ninth and play center field. He finished his debut 0-for-2 with a strikeout, returning to Triple-A after the game.

A year later he was in Minnesota, where he played 77 games at the MLB level. It was the start of a flurry of transactions surrounding the 5-foot-11 outfielder, who played all three outfield positions during the 2012 season with the Twins.

He ended up with the Twins after being claimed off waivers, and things quickly became complicated. In 2013, a stress reaction in his left ankle put him on the 15-day disabled list and he returned to the minors, rehabbing across very levels. When he returned, he was optioned and recalled to Triple-A three times over the next year.

The Blue Jays claimed him off waivers and he eventually elected free agency after bouncing back and forth. The Philadelphia Phillies signed him and put him in Triple-A, then promptly traded him to the Washington Nationals. He eventually elected free agency and was re-signed by the Twins. All in all, it added it up to 20-plus transactions over the past two years.

“Life in the minors is a grind and it isn’t easy,” Mastroianni said. “Nobody could ever know what it’s truly like until you get here. There’s no disillusion from anyone that it’s a walk in the park, nor is it a glamorous ride. Still, it’s fun and it’s an experience not everyone gets. So even through the grind of travel, it was well worth it.”

Game 36 Recap: Bay Sox 3, Mountaineers 1

Vermont's Michael Fairchild went 7 2/3 in his longest start of the summer. 

With another opportunity to reach .500 sitting right in front of them, the Mountaineers came up short. Looking to even their record for the first time since June 10th, the second game of the season, Vermont faltered in a 3-1 loss to New Bedford in the last of a five-game road trip.

A two-run double from Bay Sox catcher Jakob Goldfarb in the eighth was the decisive blow, breaking up a 1-1 deadlock. New Bedford starter Sam Nepiarsky scattered a run and five hits over 7 2/3, striking out eight, and All-Star closer Darrien Ragins stranded a runner on second with back-to-back strikeouts to finish off his seventh save.

It was a game with plenty of fireworks, as Nepiarsky was ultimately tossed alongside pinch-runner Robbie Doring during an eventful eighth. With one out, Andrew Penner singled to right with Doring on second, who attempt to score. He was thrown out easily by Troy Scocca but collided with Mountaineers catcher Ryan Fineman at the plate.

Both players ended up jawing at each other, with Nepiarsky — who had finished his night in the prior inning — came storming in and shoved a player. During and Nepiarsky were ejected, which will prove costly for the Bay Sox. Attempting to fend off the Danbury Westerners for the fourth spot in the Southern Division playoffs, Nepiarsky has been their ace and will miss a potentially pivotal start.

Nepiarsky was lights out early, retiring 11 straight Mountaineers after a one-out single in the first. The Bay Sox took a lead off of Mountaineers starter Michael Fairchild in the fifth, as he hit Ted Shaw with two outs and back-to-back singles from Danny DiMare and Alex Mata brought him in.

Vermont was able to answer, however, as Jeremy McCuin led off the sixth with a double off of Nepiarsky. He moved to third on Trevor Ezell’s sacrifice bunt and scored on a groundout from Will Morgan. It was the lone run the Mountaineers would manage against New Bedford’s pitching staff, however.

They couldn’t make the most of a leadoff double from Joe Tietjen in the seventh, as he was thrown out after breaking early on the pitch and sliding into third as the shortstop hauled in a pop-up. McCuin singled and Ezell was hit by a pitch with two outs in the eighth, chasing Nepiarsky, but reliever Matthew Leon induced a flyout to escape the jam.

Raigins, an All-Star closer, worked around the heart of Vermont’s order. Tietjen reached second on a throwing error, but he hunkered down and struck out pinch-hitter Slade Heggen and Jeremy Giles to end the game.

Vermont’s Fairchild was a tough luck loser, allowing three runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out six. After a pair of ejections, Fairchild ran into two-out trouble. He walked Connor Hoover to put two on for Goldfarb, who doubled  in both runs. It appeared the throw from Keegan Meyn in left easily beat Hoover, but he was ruled safe in a controversial call for the insurance run.

That chased Fairchild, with reliever Christian Isbell getting the final out and stranding a runner on second.

The loss is the second time in Vermont’s last eight games they’ve had had a chance to climb back to .500 but haven’t been able to. They were 14-15 entering a pair of home games last week but dropped three straight. A trio of wins on the road had them poised to erase all memories of the 2-11 start, but the Bay Sox sneaked by.

Still, it’s not all bad for Vermont. Keene dropped a doubleheader with North Adams, giving the Mountaineers a 1 1/2-game cushion for the fourth playoff spot. The SteepleCats built a two-game lead over Vermont for the third spot.

Tonight’s game against Upper Valley is big for a variety of reasons. The Nighthawks, after dropping nine of 10, have rebounded to go 5-5 and sit just 2 1/2 out of fourth place in a late season comeback. It’s a big opportunity for the league’s expansion franchise to gain ground in a semi-rivalry, so expect plenty of fireworks.

Game 35 Recap: Mountaineers 10, Waves 1

Vermont's Slade Heggen went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs in the win.

Mikael Mogues homered for the second straight game while Jeremy Giles and Slade Heggen both went 3-for-5, fueling an offensive eruption in Vermont’s 10-1 rout of Ocean State in the fourth game of their Southern Division road trip.

Giles broke open the scoring in the third with a solo home run, and Mogues added one of his own in the second. The Waves managed to get a run back in the fourth, but Vermont went on to score six runs over the final two innings and roll to the win.

Vermont’s second straight win improved their record to 17-18, just a game under .500 while holding a game lead on Keene for the fourth and final playoff spot in the North.

Kevin Kernan threw three hitless innings in relief, combining with Chandler Sedat and starter Fitzpatrick Stadler to hold the Waves to just three hits. One hit was a solo home run off the bat of RJ Blanton in the fourth, the first run Sedat allowed this season, snapping a scoreless innings streak at 18 2/3.

Ocean State worked through five pitchers, including three during Vermont’s four-run eighth inning. Starter Max Ford gave up two home runs over 3 2/3 innings, walking three and striking out four in the loss. The duo of All-Star pitchers in Nick Johnson and Robbie Hitt didn’t last more than three innings apiece, as Johnson gave up a run in 2 1/3 and Hitt was chased in the eighth after allowing three runs.

Left-hander Logan Lessard faced three batters, and they all reached against him, one coming across. Tyler Barss ended the threat in the eighth but allowed a pair of runs in the ninth. For a pitching staff that was among the league’s best in the first half of the season, the Waves have struggled mightily as of late. They dropped to a respectable 19-17 on the year but are a troubling 3-7 over their past 10 games.

Stadler struggled with control early, walking four and leaving with one out in the fourth. It was the right-hander’s first start of the summer, and he allowed a lone hit and used a pair of double plays to escape jams. Sedat entered with a runner on second and got a double play of his own, as center fielder Joe Tietjen caught a fly ball and threw out the runner tagging to third.

Giles and Mogues both hit home runs, and shortstop Michael Osinski reached on an error and came around to score on an error. Blanton’s home run cut Vermont’s lead to two, but Trevor Ezell answered with a sacrifice fly in the top of the frame.

Vermont struck for six runs against the Waves bullpen, starting with a RBI single from Heggen. Osinski reached on a dropped third strike that brought in another run, and Troy Scocca drove in two with a bases-loaded double. In the ninth, Giles led off with his second double of the day and scored on Heggen’s RBI double of his own. He capped the scoring by coming across on another error, this one by Ocean State’s second basemen.

It was a big win for the Mountaineers, who’ve now taken three of four against Southern Division foes on their road trip. They finish it out with a game tonight against the New Bedford Bay Sox (17-19), who are coming off a rain-shortened blowout loss to Newport.

Vermont’s main competition is in the form of the Keene Swamp Bats, who sit a game back. Winnipesaukee has plummeted, dropping seven straight, and are at risk of being leaped in the standings by Upper Valley. Vermont’s only a half-game out of third place North Adams, a team they play at home twice over the final two weeks of the season.

Game 34 Recap: Mountaineers 2, Gulls 1

Vermont's Sam Bordner went eight innings in his best start of the summer.

Making his first appearance since the All-Star Game last Sunday, first basemen Mikael Mogues returned to the Vermont lineup and cranked a two-run home run that proved to be decisive in the Mountaineers 2-1 win over the Newport Gulls Friday at Cardines Field.

Mogues’ shot came off Gulls righty Blake Battenfield in the top of the first inning. Paired with eight strong innings from Sam Bordner, the Mountaineers held off several Gulls rallies to snap sole possession of fourth place in the Northern Division.

Bordner was at the top of his game, scattering nine hits and a walk while striking out five over a season-long eight innings. In a performance reminiscent of collegiate teammate Sean Leland a summer ago, Bordner struck out five and provided a boost for a taxed Mountaineers pitching staff coming off of a doubleheader in Plymouth.

The Mountaineers sit two games under .500, but Winnipesaukee and Keene both faltered on the road last night, allowing Vermont to build a game advantage for the fourth and final playoff spot. Vermont faces a tough test tonight as they travel to take on the Ocean State Waves (19-16), while Winnipesaukee and Keene face off at noon before playing their regularly scheduled games against Sanford and North Adams, respectively.

Mogues finished 2-for-4 with a walk, providing a much-needed boost for a Mountaineers offense that has largely been held in check the last couple of games. His first-inning shot was the only runs Vermont pushed across, but his bat in the middle of the Mountaineers lineup is a welcome sight.

The theme for both teams was leaving runners on base, as the teams combined for 21 hits but just three runs. Vermont left seven runners on base against Battenfield, who allowed the Mogues home run but otherwise worked around nine hits and struck out five in five innings of work.

Gulls reliever Matthew McGarry turned in his best outing of the summer, striking out five over four scoreless frames. McGarry worked around jams in the sixth and eighth, but kept his team within striking distance in a good outing.

Newport, though, struggled to get to Bordner until his last inning of work. The Gulls ran themselves out of runs — Cole Fabio was caught stealing in the third, and a botched first-and-third walkoff play ended with Mountaineers second basemen Trevor Ezell gunning down Stephen Scott at the plate.

Back-to-back singles in the sixth were squandered as well, even after a sacrifice bunt put two in scoring position with just one out. A leadoff double in the eighth from Fabio proved to be enough to get a run in, as Scott’s one-out groundout to second brought in Newport’s first run. Border stranded the tying run at third, however, and turned it over to Jonathan Stiever for the ninth.

In his first save situation of the summer, Stiever worked around a two-out single to close out the Gulls.

Jeremy Giles finished 3-for-3 with a walk out of the nine spot in the Mountaineers order, while catcher Ryan Fineman reached base three times and showed his defensive prowess by throwing out a runner. Fireman’s been one of the better defensive catchers in the league so far this season, and almost scored twice. Will Morgan added a 2-for-5 day, doubling in the first and scoring on Mogues blast.

The five-game road trip has gotten off to a promising start for Vermont, who’s 2-1 and in good shape entering their final stretch. After starting a shaky 1-10 on the road, the Mountaineers have began to find success, which is important with plenty of road games left.

The Great Northern Division Playoff Race

Over the next two weeks. the battle for the Northern Division’s playoff spots will somehow heat up even more as the regular season winds to a close. Entering Friday’s action, their are three teams tied for the fourth playoff spot and sit five games out of first. The third-place team is just one game back of second and the ability to host a playoff series, while the second-place team is two out of first.

Even the last-place team is just 2 1/2 games behind the fourth and final playoff spot. The level of parity in the North is unprecedented, making this one of the more exciting postseason races in recent memory. Every team is playing meaningful games at the end of the season in both divisions, as even in the South the last-place team is just 1 1/2 out of a playoff spot.

It’s incredible, but for the focus of this post, here’s an extensive look at the Northern Division. Here are the current standings as we head down the stretch.

Sanford, 21-14
Valley, 18-15
North Adams, 18-17
Vermont, 15-18
Winnipesaukee 15-18
Keene, 15-18
Upper Valley, 13-21

Sanford’s heated up as of late, winning eight of 10, and appear they’ll lock up their first divisional title in several years barring a collapse. Still, Valley and North Adams are within two and three games, respectively, so it’s no guarantee.

The most interesting race is for the fourth seed in the postseason, as three teams are tied for it. To figure out if any of the teams have an advantage, let’s take a look at their respective schedules.

VT: @NG, @OSW, @NBS, vs UV, vs NSC, @VAL, @WIN, vs NSC, @VAL, @UV (2)
WIN: @VAL, @KSB, @SM, @UV, vs MYS, @OSW, vs SM, vs VM, vs VAL, @NSC, @VAL
KSB: @DM, vs WIN, vs NSC, @NSC, @PP, vs SM, vs VAL, @MYS, vs SM, @UV, @NG

Each team has an off day mixed in during this decisive 11-game stretch. Winnipesaukee has a tough double-header tomorrow, as they play in Keene at noon, then travel to Sanford for a nightcap. Keene plays at noon and at 6:30 against North Adams at home, while Vermont’s double-header is against Upper Valley on the last day of the season.

By pythagorean record, Winnipesaukee has the hardest schedule the rest of the season. They have to play the NECBL-leading Mystic Schooners twice, no small task. Keene is second, facing the division-leading Mainers twice while also traveling to Newport and Mystic. Vermont, despite a tough Southern Divisions swing, is in good shape. They close the season with eight divisional games, including three against the last-place Nighthawks.

Tomorrow’s doubleheader is huge. While the Mountaineers are in Rhode Island, Winnipesaukee and Keene face off at noon before playing Sanford and North Adams, respectively.

A lot has happened in the Northern Division this summer, and we’re poised for a dramatic end of the season. The rest of the way, baseball’s going to be unpredictable. Vermont’s had three straight games end in walk-offs, so it’s hard to pretend that baseball is even remotely predictable. Regardless of what happens, the NECBL is witnessing one of their closest divisional races in league history.

Game 32+33 Recap: Mountaineers trade walk-offs in doubleheader split

Mountaineers shortstop Michael Osinski sparked a rally in Game 2 with a home run. He's hitting .380 this summer.

The start of a five-game road trip against Southern Division foes featured plenty of excitement, as the Mountaineers traded walk-offs with the last-place Plymouth Pilgrims in a doubleheader split. Coming away with a win and a loss, Vermont remains three games below .500, but sit in a three-way tie with Winnipesaukee and Keene for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Northern Division.

They’ll attempt to gain ground tonight as they travel to Newport to face the Gulls (20-16). Newport is three games out of first place in the Southern Division, having won seven of their last 10 games. First pitch comes at 6:35 p.m. at Cardines Field.

Game 1: Vermont 3, Plymouth 2

Plymouth right-hander Thomas Lane was cruising. He’d retired 12 of the last 13 Mountaineers he’d faced, and had quickly recorded a pair of strikeouts to open the seventh and final frame. It appeared Lane would quickly finish off a seven-inning start and the first half of a doubleheader would go to extras.

Lane allowed a two-out single to Vermont’s Trevor Ezell on his 110th pitch of the night, but Pilgrims manager Greg Zacrickson still had faith in the Boston College right-hander. Instead of going to his bullpen, Lane faced Mountaineers centerfielder Joe Tietjen.

Tietjen took the first pitch he saw and drove it off the fence in right, walking off with a double to ensure Vermont’s early 2-0 lead hadn’t been squandered.

Lane was a tough luck loser, allowing three earned runs on seven hits over 6 2/3 while striking out eight. He was working on eight days rest after throwing 94 pitches in a no-decision against Newport, but it’s hard to justify leaving a pitcher in over 100 pitches in a summer collegiate league.

Vermont starter TJ Santiago scattered seven hits and two runs, one earned, over six innings. He lowered his season ERA to 2.28 in his second straight strong start, piling up six strikeouts to zero walks. Reliever Michael Fairchild recorded the win, working around a one-out walk in the seventh.

The Mountaineers struck for two quick runs against Lane in the first, as Ezell opened with a double. He stole second and scored on Will Morgan’s RBI single. Morgan scored two batters later via a RBI double from Troy Scocca.

Morgan went 2-for-3 with a run and a RBI, leading a Mountaineers offense that managed just seven hits. Three were for extra bases, however, as Ezell went 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of runs scored.

Plymouth got a run back in the second on a RBI fielders choice from Cameron Hanley, then tied it in the fourth. Tyler Kirkpatrick reached on a fielding error by Jeremy Giles at short, moved to third on Cole Gordon’s single, and scored on a Hanley single.

The Pilgrims threatened to pull ahead several times, but left seven runners on base. They had the go-ahead run 90 feet away in the seventh against Fairchild after a passed ball and wild pitch, but he caught Brian Sharp looking with a strikeout to end the frame.

Game 2: Plymouth 4, Vermont 3

The doubleheader’s nightcap was a tough loss for the Mountaineers. After Vermont rallied for three runs in their final at bat to tie it, Plymouth’s Kirkpatrick answered with a walk-off single, salvaging a win for the Pilgrims after they had lead much of the ballgame.

Kirkpatrick, who went 2-for-3 in the first game, came up with his only hit of the nightcap in his final at-bat. He brought in pinch-runner Ryan Brown in from second base with his single, coming off of Mountaineers reliever Rayne Supple.

Supple had cruised through his first two innings of work. After entering a bases-loaded jam in relief of starter Davis Feldman, Supple issued a walk to bring in a run, but bounced back to retire seven straight. He gave up a leadoff single to Plymouth’s Joey Thomas to start the seventh, and Thomas eventually came around to score in the form of Brown.

Plymouth starter Andrew Mitchell was cruising through his first six innings, as he held the Mountaineers hitless through four. He tired quickly in the seventh though, and was left out to long by Zacrickson.

Osinski greeted Mitchell with a solo home run to open the seventh, cutting the Pilgrims lead to just one. Osinski finished 1-for-2 and was hit by a pitch in the second game, raising his batting average to .380 on the year — a mark tied with Upper Valley’s Joey Denison for the best in the NECBL.

Mitchell, who totaled 104 pitches, ran into more trouble. He walked Slade Heggen and Ryan Fineman before recording his first out of the inning with a strikeout of Keegan Meyn. A costly error loaded the bases, and Jeremy Giles brought in a run with a sacrifice fly. Another walk loaded the bases again, chasing Mitchell.

Plymouth reliever Jake Wyrick brought in the game-tying run with a wild pitch, but ended up stranding three runners by getting Tietjen to fly out to center field. Leaving three on would come back to haunt Vermont, as Kirkpatrick ended it in the bottom of the frame.

Feldman earned a no-decision, allowing three earned runs on three hits over 3 2/3. He walked five and struck out two. He looked strong early, retiring the first six batters he faced, but control problems allowed the Pilgrims to build a 3-0 lead.

Game 31 Recap: Mainers 7, Mountaineers 6

Vermont's Joe Tietjen slides safely into home plate during the first inning. /TA Photo

In an as back-and-forth a game as you can imagine, the visiting Sanford Mainers came out on top against the Vermont Mountaineers.

Sanford designated hitter Jordan Powell’s RBI single with one out in the 11th inning lifted Mainers to a 7-6 win in extras on Wednesday night.

Powell’s clutch hit off reliever Sean Callahan gave Sanford it’s sixth win in seven days as the Mainers handed Vermont a second straight loss at home. The Mountaineers led 5-2 through four innings, but a resilient Sanford dug in.

Sanford reliever Joe Orlando gave up the game-tying run in the eighth inning, but followed with three scoreless frames. After a runner reached in the bottom of the 11th, Sanford’s Dalton Curtis closed the door on Vermont’s comeback bid when pinch-hitter Troy Scocca came to bat with runners on first and second and two outs before grounding out to short on the first pitch he saw.

A fielding error in the 11th inning allowed the game-winning run to reach base, represented by Zach Jancarski. He moved all the way to third on Nelson Mompierre’s long single. Mompierre was just feet shy of a two-run home run, settling for a long base hit off the wall in right.

The loss dropped Vermont to 14-17 as the team enters a brutal five-game Southern Division road stretch, starting with a doubleheader against Plymouth tonight. Scheduled as a pair of seven-inning games, first pitches are coming at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.

Vermont starter Joe Rocchietti was in line for his first win of the season on Wednesday, holding the Mainers to two runs in five innings. He scattered 10 hits, walked none and struck out three. He escaped several jams in his fifth start, but took the no-decision.

The Mainers got to him quickly, as Jancarski reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and eventually came around to score on Mompierre’s single in the first. The Mountaineers, however, answered. Joe Tietjen drew a two-out walk against Sanford starter Will Tribucher in the home half and scored on Michael Osinski’s RBI single.

Sanford took the lead in the fourth on a RBI single from Michael Young, but Vermont answered again, and then some. Jeremy Giles drew a bases-loaded walk and Trevor Ezell followed with a two-run single that dropped in right field to take the lead back. Vermont chased Tribucher in the following inning, as the team loaded the bases again.

Tribucher served up a season-high five earned runs while lasting just 4.1 innings and walking five in his worst start of the summer. The southpaw still sports a 2.45 ERA, but he has gradually slipped in recent starts. After not allowing an earned run over his first 18 innings to start the summer, Sanford’s ace has appeared merely human, coughing up nine in his last 13.

Reliever Thomas Fortier gave up a sacrifice fly to the first batter he faced, Slade Heggen, allowing Vermont to take a four-run lead into the sixth.

Vermont reliever Christian Isbell, looking for a fourth straight scoreless outing, faltered. He gave up a RBI double to John Cresto in the sixth, then allowed three more to come across in the seventh on one swing of the bat.

After a dropped third strike that allowed Zach Jancarski to reach and a single from Shaine Hughes, Isebll fanned two. He should’ve been out of the seventh, but Sanford right fielder Christopher Gaetano had other plans. He took a 1-1 pitch and teed off, launching it over the fence in right for his fourth home run of the season.

It temporarily gave the Mainers a lead, but Vermont rallied once again. Sanford reliever Joe Orlando hit the first batter he faced in the eighth, Jeremy McCuin. Giles bunted him to second, Ezell singled, and Gaetano misplayed the ball in right field to bring him in. A questionable out call on a double play ended Vermont’s threat, resulting in extras.

Game 30 Recap: SteepleCats 7, Mountaineers 2

Mountaineer Mike Osinski was a bright spot in a tough loss to North Adams.

Entering Tuesday night, Vermont was poised to take over sole possession of third place in the Northern Division. They were one win away from finally reaching .500 after starting the summer 2-11, and losses from Winnipesaukee and Keene at the end of the night would have them a game up on the pair.

It wasn’t in the cards, however. Vermont missed out on several opportunities, and the visiting North Adams SteepleCats piled up 12 hits in a resounding 7-2 victory that once again sets the Mountaineers back.

“They played way better and way harder,” Vermont manger Joe Brown said of North Adams. “They came out and attacked us while we sat on our heels, so they earned a win. That’s disappointing because the opportunity we had in front of us was pretty good, but we couldn’t take advantage of it.”

“It shouldn’t of happened,” he added. “It’s unacceptable.”

Vermont starter Jonathan Stiever gave up four earned runs on seven hits, both summer-highs, and the Mountaineers couldn’t climb out of an early 1-0 hole. The SteepleCats had four doubles and made the most of their chances, getting to one of the top starting pitchers in the league.

North Adams right-hander Peter Lannoo scattered seven singles over six innings of work, allowing a lone unearned run while striking out two. Vermont loaded the bases against him in the second, but he induced an unconventional 5-2-3 double play to escape the jam. A wild pitch after a runner reached on an error brought in the lone run against him, as he worked out of jams in a variety of ways. A two-out single was erased after a caught stealing, and a runner was doubled up after stealing on the pitch and getting caught on a flout.

SteepleCats right fielder Edward Haus went 2-for-5 with a pair of runs, and shortstop Easton Johnson went 2-for-3 with a trio of RBIs and a run scored. Johnson opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the second, then drove in two more runs in the fourth for an early 3-0 lead.

Vermont got a run back in the bottom of the fourth, but the SteepleCats had an answer as well. Nick Riotto doubled with one out, Daniel Holst drew a walk, and Dustin Shirley added another double to bring in a run. That put North Adams up 4-1, chasing Stiever after five innings of work.

Mountaineers reliever Kevin Kernan took over and cruised through his first three innings of work, allowing a lone hit while striking out three. With two outs in ninth, however, his defense let him down. Vermont’s Will Morgan misplayed a ball and it got all the way to the wall, allowing a run to score and the runner to go all the way to third.

Shaken, Kernan issued a walk, then gave up back-to-back singles to Holst and John Mazza that both brought in runs. It was a tough turn of events for Kernan, who had been cruising and ended up getting tagged with three runs.

“I thought he pitched great for us,” Brown said. “Unfortunately, he got stabbed a little bit with just one out to go, but he saved us.”

The SteepleCats trio of Jack Rupe, Andrew Camiolo, and Logan Austin combined for three strong innings in relief. Austin gave up a run in the bottom of the ninth, as Jeremy Giles came up with a RBI groundout, but North Adams still had an easy win locked up.

Rule and Camillo have been two of the league’s top relievers, each with sub-2.00 ERA’s. Camiolo needed just 11 pitches for a 1-2-3 eighth against the heart of Vermont’s lineup.

NOTES: Michael Osinski played first base for the Mountaineers as Mikael Mogues remains out with an injury. Osinski didn’t make an error, and had a nice play and ensuing flip to the covering pitcher in the ninth inning. “He’s unselfish,” Brown said. “He’s a good baseball player and was willing do that to help us, and we appreciated that.”... Osinski had a strong day at the plate as well, going 3-for-4 with a trio of singles to raise his season average to .374. It was his second straight multi-hit game, and he's working on a four-game hitting streak where he’s gone 9-for-13 (.692)... Keegan Meyn, a Player of the Week Honor Roll selection last week, pinch-hit in the eighth inning for Troy Scocca and grounded out on the first pitch he saw. It’s been a slow few games for Meyn, who’s just 1-for-12 over the last three games.

UP NEXT: Vermont welcomes Sanford (19-14), who has won eight of 10 and hold a 1 1/2-game lead on the Valley Blue Sox atop the Northern Division. Winners of two straight, the Mainers blanked Winnipesaukee, 3-0, last night. Southpaw William Tribucher (Michigan) is the Sanford probable starter, set to make his sixth start. He’s 3-1 with a 1.33 ERA over 27 innings, good for an All-Star nod. He’s piled up 28 strikeouts while issuing just 13 walks and allowing 16 hits. Tribucher started the summer with three straight starts of six innings where he didn’t allow an earned run.

Game 29 Recap: Mountaineers 6, Muskrats 2

Joe Tietjen hit his team-leading fourth home run, going 2-for-4 with a pair of runs and RBIs.

Without All-Star first basemen Mikael Mogues for the first time since the eighth game of the season, the resilient Vermont Mountaineers trotted out a different lineup and capitalized on chances, knocking off the Winnipesaukee Muskrats, 6-2.

Joe Tietjen, hitting out of the three spot for the first time in some time, went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, opening the scoring with a two-out solo home run on the first pitch he saw from Muskrats right-hander Paul Campbell in the first. Mike Osinski went 2-for-4 with a run and Jeremy McCuin had his first big game, going 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI out of the nine spot in Vermont’s order.

“You have to play without people,” Vermont manager Joe Brown said. “I was probably going to give him rest any way, but you should be able to win without people, that’s what the other guys are for. It was a good job coming out of the break.”

Despite striking out 12 times, the Mountaineers piled up six runs on nine hits, scoring four in the final three frames to pull away against the Muskrats. It ran Vermont’s winning streak to four as they continue to climb in the Northern Division, improving to 14-15. They’ve leaped into a tie with Winnipesaukee for the fourth and final playoff spot, but are just 2 1/2 games out of division-leading Sanford.

Vermont starter Rayne Supple gave up solo home runs to Winnipesaukee’s Keivan Berges and Ryan Stekl, lasting just 3 1/3 as he labored through 73 pitches. Supple, who went four innings in his first start, earned a no-decision. It was the work of the Mountaineers bullpen that sealed the deal, as the combination of Fitz Stadler and Chandler Sedat was practically unhittable.

Stadler entered with a runner on first in the fourth and induced a first-pitch double play, and ended up scattering a pair of hits over 3 2/3 in long relief. He ran into trouble sixth, but stranded a pair of runners in scoring position with a strikeout and groundout. The towering right-hander struck out four to earn the win.

“Fitz was great and he’s been coming and coming recently,” Brown said. “Each out, it’s been a little bit better from him. That big inning where they had second and third with one out and Fitz getting that strikeout was huge.”

Sedat extended his scoreless innings streak to start the season to 17 1/3, striking out one and walking one over two innings for his second multi-inning save of the summer.

Vermont’s bullpen has been a strength to start July. Over 19 appearances and 45 innings of work, Mountaineer relievers have allowed just nine earned runs for a sub-2.00 ERA. Stadler, Christian Isbell and Michael Fairchild have all found success in recent outings for the Mountaineers, while Sedat has been a reliable arm all summer long.

“We’re establishing roles and guys are rested,” Brown said of his bullpen’s recent run. “Nobody’s gassed right now and we’ve got our pitching lined up.”

Tietjen’s home run in the first put Vermont up 1-0, but the Muskrats answered with a pair of home runs coming in the second and third. Tietjen reached with two outs in the third, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch, and tied the game on a fielding error at second.

Errors were a troubling trend for Winnipesaukee, who committed three after allowing just 21 in their first 30 games, tops in the NECBL. Vermont took the lead back in the sixth after a pair of costly errors. Osinski singled to right, then caught right fielder Grant Meylan sleeping to take an extra base. He moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on the same play, as Muskrats catcher Michael Alesico’s throw down sailed into left field.

Campbell was a tough-luck loser, allowing three runs, just one earned, over six innings. He struck out eight in his longest start of the summer. Winnipesaukee reliever Geoffrey Kayo gave up three runs in his two innings of work. Tietjen drew a bases-loaded walk, Troy Scocca had a sacrifice fly, and McCuin doubled in a run.

Winnipesaukee’s lost five of six and fall below .500 at 15-16.

Mountaineers aim to build on recent success

Vermont's Davis Feldman is one of several key pieces in a second-half surge for the Mountaineers. /TA Photo

Closing out the stretch before the All-Star break with six wins in seven games, the Vermont Mountaineers climbed out of last place in the Northern Division and sit in good position after finding the reset button on their slow start to the summer.

What’s already happened has been well-documented in this newspaper, as Vermont limped out to a 2-11 start and routinely dealt with defensive struggles. Following a seven-game losing streak – and just one road win in Vermont’s first 11 chances – fans faced the harsh reality that it’s simply not the Mountaineers’ year.

But over the past two weeks, that resignation turned into resolve.

Winners of eight of their past 10 games, the Mountaineers enter the second half with a dangerous lineup and reliable pitching. Vermont won a pair of games against the league-leading Sanford Mainers and is now poised to make a playoff run in an incredibly close Northern Division. All seven teams are within six games of each other and every upcoming game will carry more weight.

Vermont opens the final stretch of the season with a three-game homestand, but it’s a brief break in the midst of a grueling schedule. Ten of the Mountaineers’ final 16 games are on the road, including a five-game overnight trip against Southern foes. With six regular-season games remaining at the friendly confines of Recreation Field, the Mountaineers will need to play better on the road. Vermont has become a heavy-hitter in the hunt for a playoff berth even though the team has gone 3-10.

Facing three divisional foes during the current homestead will provide Vermont with a valuable chance to gain ground. It marks the start of a very lengthy stretch, as the Mountaineers are slated to play 10 games in nine days before their next day off. Vermont manager Joe Brown will have his hands full while attempting to not overwork his pitching staff, especially after the loss of reliable arms Culver Lamb and Joey Benitez to innings limits earlier in July.

Brown has done an excellent job of spreading innings around, as only three members of the Mountaineers pitching staff have thrown over 20 innings this summer. The Mountaineers are adding a right-hander to the bullpen with the signing of returnee Billy Whaley of Northfield. The Norwich University standout piled up 31-plus innings last summer and made four starts for the Mountaineers, posting a 4.02 ERA over nine games.

Whaley could be a valuable innings-eater, and several other pitchers have started to find their groove. Reliever Christian Isbell, who gave up three runs in an inning in his season debut, hasn’t allows an earned run in seven innings spanning three appearances. Starter Davis Feldman has turned in quality back-to-back outings, throwing five scoreless innings during a start against Sanford. After that he held Upper Valley hitless in a three-inning relief effort.

The ability to showcase strong pitching from throughout the staff has been a trademark of Brown’s Mountaineers, and it will be key in the final three weeks of the season. And while Vermont is also a very dangerous team at the plate — scoring nearly seven runs per game over the last 10 contests — the potent offense has glossed over some of the team’s recent mistakes.

Vermont has committed 51 errors in 28 games, and that ranks second-worst in the NECBL behind divisional rival Sanford (53). The Mountaineers are last in fielding percentage, and as a result they have allowed the fewest earned runs in the league. Defensive miscues have been a recurring theme for the Mountaineers, and recently the offensive success has helped cover up the fielding mistakes. But as Vermont enters the stretch run, every error will become more and more costly.

A routine lineup could help matters as players grow accustomed to their positions, and it’s a lineup that could easily be the most productive in the Northern Division. When a team’s offense is working as well as the Mountaineers’, coaches typically don’t tinker with the batting order. Second basemen Trevor Ezell leads off and is followed by a stretch of All-Stars in centerfielder Joe Tietjen, first basemen Mikael Mogues and shortstop Mike Osinski. The white-hot Keegan Meyn and another All-Star in Troy Scocca follow. The first six batters entered Monday’s game hitting over .300. And paired with a strong pitching staff, that combination has been nearly unbeatable lately.

Vermont is still in position to contend for its third straight Northern Division title after coasting through the last two regular seasons and claiming the top seed by multiple games. After a miserable start to 20016, the Mountaineers are playing critical games once again.

NOTES: Four Mountaineers competed Sunday in the NECBL All-Star Game, which ended in an 8-8 tie. The Vermont-backed Northern Division jumped out to a 8-1 lead, with Mountaineers shortstop Michael Osinski reaching base three times and scoring twice. The South scored seven runs in the final two innings, with Keene reliever Michael LaBeau blowing a four-out save.

Vermont first basemen Mikael Mogues finished second in the Home Run Derby after putting on a show in the opening round. During the All-Star Game he drew a walk in his first at-bat and then came a feet shy of belting a two-run homer in the third inning. He settled for a fly-out to the warning track in center, then exited in the fourth after attempting to make a leaping catch over the tarp near the right-field line.

Mogues was the second-to-last hitter to go in the first round of the home run derby, launching a then-best seven home runs. He added two more in the final, but Newport’s Gabe Snyder soared above while playing in his home park. Snyder hit nine in the first around and 11 more in the second, totaling 20 to secure the victory.

Scocca entered in the fifth inning and played left field, flying out to center. Joe Tietjen reached on an error in a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth inning.