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KEENE, N.H. – (MyKeeneNow) The SwampBats waited out an hour rain delay before the game to hold off the Valley Blue Sox 12-11 late Saturday night.
The SwampBats, whose four game winning streak was snapped the previous night, jumped on top early with RBI singles by Aaron Graeber (Delaware) and Nick Romano (Florida Atlantic) before stranding the bases loaded in the first. Valley responded with a solo home run in the top of the second, and hit a three-run home run in the third to go ahead 4-2. The SwampBats’ offense left opportunities on the table in three consecutive innings, stranding two runners on base in the second, third, and fourth innings. It looked like this would haunt the SwampBats when Valley added on with an RBI double and a bases-loaded walk in the fifth. With a 6-2 lead, one out, and the bases still loaded in the fifth, the game might have gotten away from the SwampBats. Jake Bean (Kent State), who earned the win, got a ground ball to third base that Romano turned into a 5-5-3 double play.
With the rain again coming down on Alumni Field, the SwampBats rallied in the fifth. After loading the bases without a hit, Andrew Wiggins (Indiana) drew a pinch-hit RBI walk before Jake Koonin (Princeton), who had his fourth consecutive multi-hit game, ripped an RBI single to make it 6-4. Cincinnati’s Josh Kross came up next with an opportunity to turn the game around and did just that. He drilled his second grand slam of the season onto the top of the barn beyond the right field fence to put the SwampBats up by two and pump up the dugout. Keene added on in the sixth with another bases-loaded walk from Wiggins. Then Kross came up again with the bases full and a chance to break the game open. He ripped a fly ball to the right-center field gap which fell on the warning track for a three-run double, giving Kross a seven RBI game and putting the SwampBats ahead 12-6. Valley seemed down and out but instead clawed back. They scored once in the seventh on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, and three more times in the eighth on a double, a groundout, and a wild pitch to make it 12-10. With closer Isaac Williams (Central Florida) on the mound for the ninth, the first two Blue Sox hit singles. Williams got two outs on a fielder’s choice and a strikeout but a wild pitch put runners on second and third. A pass ball then scored one run and moved the tying run to third, setting up the game’s most dramatic moment. The remaining fans were rewarded for staying past 11 pm when after several foul balls, Williams got a game clinching called third strike.
Keene (13-6) is off on Sunday before visiting Sanford on Monday. The next home game is Independence Eve on Wednesday with postgame fireworks.