Vermont ends Dukes’ three
game winning streak with 7-5 victory
Michael Radomski
(PITTSFIELD, Mass.) – The
Vermont Mountaineers scored four runs in the first inning, and two
more in the second inning on their way to a 7-5 victory over the
Pittsfield Dukes at Wahconah Park.
Dukes starter Adam Knight (Georgia State) struggled in the first
inning following a two hour rain delay. Knight retired the leadoff
hitter but hit two batters and walked another as Vermont sent eight
hitters to the plate in the inning. Nick Panzarella (Hofstra) was
hit by a pitch and scored on a wild pitch from Knight. The Dukes
righthander tried to apply the tag as Panzarella scored, and then
Knight threw the ball into left field trying to catch Nick Harris
(SE Missouri State) off of third. Three runs would score on the wild
pitch and error, and Greg Sherry (Notre Dame) would add another run
on an RBI single as Vermont took the 4-0 lead.
The Dukes would go in order in the bottom of the first inning
against Mountaineer starter Bart Carter (Western Kentucky) and
Vermont would add another two runs in the second and take a 6-0
lead.
Pittsfield would cut into the deficit with a run in the bottom of
the second inning. With Matt Adams (Slippery Rock) on second with
two outs, Domenic DiRicco (Cornell) hit a slow roller to short. Matt
Duffy (Univ of Vermont) came up with the ball and threw wide of
first base. Adams scored on the play and DiRicco moved up to second
base as Pittsfield trailed 6-1.
With one out in the third, Pittsfield would have three consecutive
hits, the final one being a three-run home run to center field from
Chris Edmondson (Le Moyne) to bring the Dukes within two runs. The
home run was just the fourth home run hit this season at Wahconah
Park, and the second by a Pittsfield Duke.
Knight would settle down retiring eight hitters in a row as he set
down the Mountaineers in the third and fourth innings in order. With
one out in the fifth, Steven Felix (Troy University) hit a double to
left center field and scored on a single from Jeff Mercer (Wright
State) to give Vermont the 7-4 lead.
The Dukes would put together a few rallies over the middle and late
innings but failed to score again until the ninth. Pittsfield would
strand a runner in the fourth, and two more in the fifth after
having two runners on with no one out. Pittsfield would also leave
another runner on base in the sixth inning as well as Carter left
with a 7-4 lead. Carter allowed four runs on seven hits while
striking out four in his first victory of the season.
Knight continued to pitch well as he finished the game strong
retiring seven of the last eight hitters that he faced. The Georgia
State student athlete pitched seven innings allowing seven runs on
five hits in the process.
In the eighth inning, Logan Billbrough (William & Mary) retired the
first two hitters but allowed back to back singles to put runners at
first and second. Manager John Russo then turned the ball over to
A.J. Balsinde (Univ of Maine) as Mike Massery (American
International) flied out on the first pitch he saw to end the
inning.
In the ninth inning, closer Rusty Odenbach (UCONN) allowed a run as
Pittsfield brought the tying run to the plate. Odenbach struck out
Krizan to end the game and preserve the Mountaineers 7-5 victory.
With the win, the Vermont Mountaineers sweep the season series 2-0
from the Pittsfield Dukes. The Mountaineers improve to 19-17 on the
season and move a game above the Holyoke Blue Sox in the battle for
the fourth and final playoff spot in the Northern Division playoff
race (the Blue Sox were rained out tonight in a game against the
North Shore Navigators). Vermont will host the Navigators tomorrow
night in a 6:30 contest with Eric Smith (Rhode Island) on the mound.
Smith is 2-2 on the season with a 4.72 earned run average.
The Pittsfield Dukes now stand at 22-13 on the season with the loss
and stay a game and a half up on the idle Newport Gulls. Pittsfield
will play in a twi-night doubleheader tomorrow against two separate
teams. The Dukes will host the Torrington Twisters in a Southern
Division matchup beginning at one o’clock, and will then play the
Northern Division’s Keene Swamp Bats at seven. Michael Ness (Duke)
will start in the first game for Pittsfield with Louie Bernardini
(Wheaton) throwing in the second. Ness is 5-1 on the season with a
1.29 ERA, while Bernardini will enter the contest with a 5.85 earned
run average in his five appearances (four starts). The Dukes will
have a Business Man’s Special all day long. Bring your cell phone to
the game and receive premium box seats for the price of general
admission.
Fans can listen to all Pittsfield Dukes games on the NECBL Broadcast
Network by going to the site at http://www.teamline.cc/sportpage?teamcode=6301&eventcode=5
Tickets are still available for Dukes’ games at Wahconah Park.
Tickets can be purchased at the Dukes box office at 105 Wahconah
Street or by calling 413 447 DUKE (3853).
GAME NOTES: Mike Massery picked up his first hit in the NECBL
tonight with a fourth inning single on the hit and run. The
Pittsfield native was 0 for 10 coming into the game with 5
strikeouts…Jayson Langfels (Eastern Kentucky) continued to hit well
in the second spot in the lineup. The Dukes third baseman went 3 for
4 tonight following a three hit night against North Adams on
Saturday…Jake Sabol (Central Michigan) pitched a 1-2-3 eight inning
striking out two hitters in his lone inning of work…Dukes closer
Zach Anderson (Buffalo) saw his first inning of work since Tuesday
as he set down the Mountaineers in order…Rusty Odenbach (UCONN)
recorded his ninth save of the season and he shut the door for the
Mountaineers. His ninth save leads all relievers in the NECBL…A.J.
Balsinde appeared in his 22nd appearance of the season retiring the
only batter he faced. He leads the league in appearances with that
total….With the 7-5 win for Vermont, the Mountaineers snapped the
Dukes three game winning streak as Vermont ended their three game
losing streak.
