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.