The SwampBats out-slugged the defending champion Newport Gulls in a 12-8 win on Independence Day.

Keene opened the scoring at historic Cardines Field with a Jake Koonin (Princeton) groundout in the top of the first, scoring Penn State’s Joe Jaconski. Newport took a 2-1 lead on a pair of RBI singles in the bottom of the second against Wake Forest’s Josh Gunther, who got the start and struck out one for the SwampBats. Kent State’s Ripken Reese tied the game with a solo home run in the fourth while Ben Shenosky (Penn State) struck out three and kept Newport off the board in three innings of relief.

With the score tied at two going to the sixth, both offenses came alive. In the top half, Delaware’s Aaron Graeber scored Florida Atlantic’s Nick Romano with a single that bounced high off the mound to put the SwampBats in front. Three batters later, Andrew Wiggins (Indiana) ripped a double to left field, scoring Graeber. Two batters after that, Jaconski scored Wiggins and Penn State teammate Bryce Molinaro with another double, making it 6-2. In the next half, Newport got three of the four runs back with a bases-loaded walk and a two-run single. Koonin caught the Gulls off guard with a surprise bunt single in the seventh and came around to score on a single by Reese. The SwampBats brought a 7-5 lead into the bottom of the eighth.

On the ropes, Newport came back to tie the game at seven in the bottom of the eighth via an infield hit and an error that scored two runs. In the top of the ninth, the SwampBats wrested back control. Reese and Wiggins each drew a bases-loaded walk, and Molinaro smashed an RBI single off the top of the right field wall. Josh Kross (Cincinnati) drew another RBI walk, and Wiggins capped off the five-run rally by scoring on a wild pitch. Newport scored on a single in the bottom of the ninth, but Closer Isaac Williams (Central Florida) was able to shut the door as he earned the win by recording four outs. Five different SwampBats had multiple hits in the game.

Keene (14-8) returns home on Friday to take on the Upper Valley Nighthawks on Ribby’s Birthday.