Mendick's Clutch Single Gives Vermont 3-2 Walkoff Win

MONTPELIER, VT- For most of July, it seemed that the Mountaineers couldn't keep up with the division leading Swamp Bats. That all changed on Thursday night, as Danny Mendick (left) lined a walkoff single into the gap to tie up the series and force a game three.

After the lights in left field went out with a runner on first and nobody out, a 15 minute delay followed. When play resumed, Keene reliever John Birckbeck struck out two straight, but Brad Kaczka, who led off the inning with a walk made his way to third. Kaczka swiped second, and a throwing error by Swamp Bats catcher Tommy Monnot (his third of the game) put him on third with one out.

Mountaineer Kyle Smith, who has been struggling most of the season, went down looking to set the stage for Mendick. A late arrival, Mendick played his first game on July 22nd, and came into last nights game hitting just .000 in the playoffs, 0-8. He came through, however, as he delivered with a no-doubt line drive into the left-center gap that hit the bottom of the fence, below the scoreboard.

Kaczka jogged home and joined the Mountaineers surrounding the unlikely hero. Mendick, from Monroe Community College, hit .250 in the 12 games he played after getting the call from teammate Brad Kazcka, who informed them they needed a guy.

Vermont, who was plagued with injuries and losses, picked up Mendick and it payed off.

Hard throwing Vanderbilt righty Pat Delano came on in relief to earn the win, throwing two innings while allowing just one hit. Delano came in after Central Connecticut University's Cody Brown went seven strong, allowing two earned runs and five hits. Brown took the no decision, as did Keene's starter Paul Covelle.

Covelle, from Franklin Pierce University, threw six innings of two run ball (just one earned) while striking out five. He handed the ball over to Birkbeck, who threw two and two thirds before giving up the walkoff, and took the loss.

An interesting sidenote was that Brown got to face fellow CCU Blue Devil JP Sportman, the star center fielder for the Swamp Bats. In three at bats, Sportman flew out, hit a single and lined into a 5-4 double play.

Meanwhile, Monnot stayed active behind the plate. The Mountaineers continued their agressive baserunning, attempting to steal seven bases, with two being thrown out by Monnot. He didn't catch speedster Chandler Brock, however, who stole another two bases to raise his total in the postseason to five.

Keene built an early 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the fourth on Matt Ford's RBI groundout and Monnots sacrifice fly, but errors got the Mountaineers back in it. With runners on first and third, AJ Ryan took off for second and a bad throw brought in Brock from third. The next at bat, Ryan advanced to third on a wild pitch and came home on another Monnot error.

The series is all tied up at one apiece, and the two teams meet for game three tomorrow night in Keene. The Swamp Bats will send their ace, University of Virginia left hander Nathan Kirby. Vermont counters with fellow Virginia lefty David Rosenberger. First pitch at 6:30 at Alumni Field.

Day 2: NECBL Playoffs

Three teams were knocked out last night as just one series was pushed to the third and final game. Mystic continued their offensive outburst to win 7-1, eliminating Ocean State. The Schooners, who just a year ago was 9-31, have completed a turnaround with a sweep of the Waves and now have a matchup with Newport. The Gulls flew by Sanford 4-0, sweeping the Mainers and earning yet another spot in the Eastern Division championship. On the other side of the bracket, in the Western Division, Vermont knocked out North Adams in a 3-1, 12-inning affair. The Mountaineers earned the sweep, and now await their opponent for the division finals. Holyoke stayed alive with a 4-2 victory over Keene, setting the stage for a win-or-go home game three tonight.

Mystic Schooners 7, Ocean State Waves 1

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
OceanState	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	4	1
Mystic	2	0	2	2	0	0	0	1	x	7	11	0

MYSTIC, CT- Mystic went ahead in the top of the first, and added more runs throughout the game, backing Joel Rosencrance's strong outing, completing a two-game sweep of the #2 seeded Waves. Tyler Boyd knocked in two runs and Rosencrance threw seven innings of one run ball to drive the Schooners into the second round of the playoffs, a year after going 9-31.

Alec Keller had an RBI double in the first and came around to score on a wild pitch, giving the Schooners a two run lead they never lost. Mystic added two more in the third and fourth, going up 6-0 before Ocean State finally scored in the sixth on a Shaun McGraw RBI groundout.

Mystic chased Wave's starter James Bessell after just three innings of work, despite him allowing just one earned run. Bessell allowed four runs on five hits and walked three, and was handed the loss. Rosencrance picked up the win for a seven inning, five strikeout outing.

Keaton Flint and Keller both scored two runs while Boyd was the only hitter with multiple RBIs. The Schooners #9 hitter, Anthony Turgeon went 3-4 with a run and a RBI. Ocean State only had four hits, two of which belonged to leadoff hitter Evan Ocello, who also scored the Wave's only run.

Ocean State is done for the year, while Mystic will be traveling to Newport on Wednesday night for the first game of the Eastern division finals. The Schooners will be sending All-Star Kurt Sowa to the mound, who is 3-2 over seven starts with a 3.04 ERA, including a shutout. Newport's probable is lefty Mark McCoy, who is 2-1 with a 2.18 ERA over 10 appearances, including three starts.

Holyoke Blue Sox 4, Keene Swamp Bats 2

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Keene	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	6	1
Holyoke	0	0	0	1	0	3	0	0	x	4	6	3

HOLYOKE, MA- Down 1-0 in the series, and in a do-or-die situation, Holyoke righty Michael Burke (left) showed up for the Blue Sox. In a dazzling complete game where he held the best hitting team in the league to just two runs on six hits, a big sixth inning put Holyoke up for good and on their way to a game three.

Burke, who earned the win, threw 120 pitches while allowing two runs, neither of which were earned. He also struck out nine, including the 4-5-6 of the Swamp Bats order seven times. Burke also didn't walk a batter, and despite his defense committing three errors, he worked through it.

Keene struck first in the second inning, jumping out to a 2-0 on a 2-RBI single by shortstop Dylan Moore. Down 2-0, Holyoke battled back in the fourth against Nicholas Kozlowski. Brendan Hendriks had a RBI double to cut the Swamp Bats lead to two.

It stayed a pitchers duel, as Burke allowed just one hitter to reach over the next 12 he faced, and he was caught stealing. Kozlowski continued his dominant start, with seven strikeouts under his belt before he lost it in the sixth, giving up three runs, although none of them were earned.

Connor McKay reached on an error to lead off the inning, and shortly after the bases were loaded with one out, and Vahn Bozoian proved to be clutch with a 2-RBI single to give them a one run lead. Jason Lombardozzi worked a walk with the bases loaded again, and a two run lead was all Burke needed.

Burke earned the victory and threw his third straight complete game, and his fifth on the season. Kozlowski took the loss, despite allowing just one earned run. The series is all knotted up at one apiece, and tonight Holyoke will sent pitcher of the week Jordan Kutzer (1-1, 1.72 ERA) from Stanford to square off against Georgia's David Scosebee (4-2, 3.62) for Keene.

Newport Gulls 4, Sanford Mainers 0

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Newport	0	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	4	6	0
Sanford	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0

SANFORD, ME- A big second inning was more than enough for the Gulls, who threw a combined shutout between three pitchers. Sean Hartnett (right) got the start, and threw six innings allowing just four hits on his way to victory while Kyle McGrath and Kyle Wilcox finished the final three innings.

Newport went ahead early with three runs in the second on a Steve Anderson RBI double and Brett Winger's 2-RBI single. Up 3-0, the lead was more than enough as they were shutdown before tacking on another in the 7th on Shea Donlin's RBI single.

Sanford's Evan Hill picked up the loss, throwing four and two thirds and giving up three earned runs, all in the second. It wasn't easy for Newport's pitchers, as Hartnett walked five and allowed a base runner every inning but the sixth.

Hartnett got the win, giving the Gulls the series sweep of Sanford. Newport will head home and prepare for the Eastern Division finals, facing off against the upstart Mystic Schooners. The Gulls will send left hander Mark McCoy to face off against the Schooners Kurt Sowa.

Vermont Mountaineers 3, North Adams 1

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12		R	H	E
Vermont	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2		3	9	0
North Adams	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		1	9	1

NORTH ADAMS, MA- The two starters, Vermont's John Miles and North Adams Michael Murphy, went
a combined 18 innings, allowing just two earned runs, ten hits and combined for fifteen strikeouts. Neither of them picked up the victory, as it took late inning heroics and three crucial singles to give Vermont the victory and series win.

Bret Dennis hit a RBI single with one out in the eighth to tie it up at one apiece, and back-to-back RBI singles by Chandler Brock (right) and Kevin Krause in the 12th gave Vermont a two run lead going into the bottom half. 

The starters were incredible. Vermont's Miles was pounced on early, allowing a run in the third off a Joe Landi RBI single, but North Adams was shutdown after that. He threw 101 pitches and struck out six, allowing just six hits. He earned the no decision due to it going to extras, but turned in the pitching performance Vermont sorely needed.

North Adams Murphy had just as good of a start, striking out seven and carrying a perfect game into the seventh. He retired the first 18 batters he faced before giving up a double to start the seventh off to Thomas Roulis, He gave up a RBI single in the eight to tie it up and push it into extras.

Both teams were quiet until Vermont broke it out against SteepleCats reliever JoeAnthony Rivera in the bottom of the 12th. Rivera took the loss, while the Mountaineer's Brandon Alphin, who pitched all three of the extra innings earned the victory.

The loss knocks North Adams out of the playoffs, sending Vermont to the next round. Vermont will send Sean Meekins to the mound in the first game of the Western Division finals, but it is unknown who they will be facing. That's to be decided tonight in the do-or-die game three between Holyoke and Keene.