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