Dukes use bats, pitching
and mother nature to end losing streak
By: Michael Radomski
(KEENE, NH)- The seven game
losing streak for Pittsfield ended this evening as the Dukes
defeated the 1st place Keene Swamp Bats. Pittsfield led the game
12-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning when the umpires called the
game in a fog delay.
The Dukes offense started early and continued throughout the fog
shortened game. In the first inning, with one out and a runner on,
Chris Edmondson (Le Moyne College) hit a two run home run, the
second of his season, to give Pittsfield the 2-0 lead.
Swamp Bat starter Craig Gullickson (Clemson University) left the
game after only retiring one batter and Keene was forced to go to
the bullpen for the remainder of the game.
In the second inning, Pittsfield would add another run on an RBI
groundout and Dukes starter Matt Giusti was given a 3-0 lead.
With the score 3-1 in the third, J.T. Musso (BYU) led off the inning
with a solo home run, his first of the season, to extend the
Pittsfield lead to three runs.
Keene would help out the Dukes in the 4th inning by committing three
errors in the field, four in total, helping the Dukes score yet
another run.
Pittsfield put the game away in the 5th, when the Dukes would send
ten hitters to the plate in a five outburst. Jayson Langfels
(Eastern Kentucky) hit an RBI single, stole second, and came home on
Matt Adams' (Slippery Rock) two run homer to center field. Craig
Hertler (San Jose State) would add a two run single, four batters
later, to give Pittsfield the commanding 10-3 lead, which was more
than enough for Giusti.
The Swamp Bats would add two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning,
but Pittsfield would add them right back in the 6th on Adams' second
home run of the game, a two run shot to build up a nine run
advantage.
In the bottom of the inning, Alex Lee (Clemson University) led off
by hitting a fly ball to left center field that the Dukes
outfielders lost in the fog and Lee would go into second standing
up. After the play, the umpires Al Libardoni and Brian Troupe would
gather and put the game into a fog delay.
Fog had been rolling in and out during the course of the game and in
the sixth, it just became too much to play. During the delay, the
umpires would call the game over with the Pittsfield Dukes in front
for the 12-3 victory.
Matt Giusti was the winning pitcher, improving to 2-1 on the season.
He pitched five plus innings, allowing three runs on six hits and
striking out four in the process. Keene used five pitchers in the
loss, none of them throwing more than two innings. Matt Adams went
two for three in the game with two home runs, four RBIs and three
runs scored in the contest.
With the victory, the Dukes improve to 6-8 on the season and end
their seven game losing streak. Pittsfield will return home tonight
and host the Torrington Twisters tomorrow night at Wahconah Park.
Game time is scheduled tomorrow evening at seven and Alex MacKenzie
(Canisius) is the probable starter for the Dukes.
For Keene, the Swamp Bats have now lost four of their last five
after starting the season 8-1. Keene will have Friday night off and
the team will travel to Holyoke on Saturday. The game is scheduled
to begin at 6:30 with Tommy Meagher (Saint Petersburg College)
slated to start.
