KEENE, N.H. – (MyKeeneNow) The Keene SwampBats opened their 2024 season with a 6-4 victory over the North Shore Navigators behind a three-run home run by Mississippi State outfielder Brett House.

SwampBats’ starting pitcher Jacob Bean (Kent State) worked out of a jam in the first inning, before surrendering an RBI single in the second but stranding the bases loaded. He exited with three innings of one-run ball. The SwampBats first got on the scoreboard when Louisville’s Alex Alicea pulled an RBI single into left field to tie the game at one as Ripken Reese (Kent State) scored. North Shore regained the lead on a single in the top of the sixth inning but that was all Nick Timpanelli (Charleston Southern) would allow in three stellar innings of relief, walking none and striking out four.

In the bottom of the sixth, Florida Atlantic’s Nick Romano was hit by a pitch and then Bryce Molinaro (Penn State) drew a walk. That set the stage for House, who had been slotted in the cleanup spot in the order on opening night. House blasted a fastball over the trees in center field to give the SwampBats a 4-2 lead. After Joe Jaconski (Penn State) was hit by a pitch, Reese doubled off the right-center field wall to put runners on second and third. Victor Izquierdo (Navy) followed with a single past the drawn-in infield to make it 6-2.

Louisville’s Jared Lessman pitched a scoreless seventh, then departed with one out and the bases loaded in the eighth. Isaac Williams (Jacksonville) arrived in a save situation and got two outs with only one runner scoring. Williams, whose fastball clocked in at 97 miles an hour, gave up a run in the ninth to make it 6-4 but struck out the final two batters to seal the win.

Keene (1-0) is scheduled to take on the Upper Valley Nighthawks at Alumni Field on Thursday with the first pitch at 6:35.