Vermont Mountaineers slap 17 hits in win
Toolbox
Staff Report - Published: June 19, 2007
KEENE, N.H. – The Vermont Mountaineers put together 17 hits for a 10-7 win over the Keene Swamp Bats in NECBL action on Monday.
"It was a great victory," Vermont coach Jon Russo said. "I think that was the most hits I've seen since I've been here."
Down 6-4 in the seventh inning, the Mountaineers' Chad Durakis hit a two-run homerun to tie the game at 6. Keene came back in the home half of the eighth inning to go up by one, 7-6. Durakis was hit by a pitch in the top of the ninth, which forced in the tying run.
Shaun Hagey's two-out, bases loaded single scored two runs and Billy Cather singled to knock in an insurance run for the 10-7 final.
AJ Balsinde earned the win for the Mountaineers, going 4 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and two runs. Justin Gutsie picked up the save.
Durakis went 2-3 and was hit by a pitch twice, and Matt Prokopowizc, Hagey and Cather all had three hits for the Mountaineers.
Robbie Nickle, whose hand was stepped on in the first game of the season, returned and sent the first pitch he saw over the fence, boosting the team's morale.
"It just got the guys real excited," Russo said. "It broke the tension and we kept swinging."
The Mountaineers are now 4-6 after starting the season at 1-5 and will host the Sanford Mainers tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Montpelier Rec Field. Mike Gagglioli will be on the mound for Vermont.
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