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.