KEENE, N.H. — The North Shore Navigators stood a half-game ahead of the Keene Swamp Bats in the New England Collegiate Baseball League standings prior to last night's game. Moreover, the Navs were out for revenge, having dropped their first two meetings with the Swamp Bats.
But three Keene home runs wiped away that opportunity, as the Swamp Bats handed North Shore a 12-7 defeat.
Down 11-1 in the eighth, the Navs (13-7) mounted a furious rally to cut the deficit to four. After Mike Provencher doubled and Derek Trent walked, Matt Costello bombed a Ryan Boden pitch off the Alumni Field scoreboard. It was the first home run of the season for a Navigator other than Provencher.
Tyler Kuehl, Nick Belcher and Jay McConnell also crossed home in the inning as Matt Costello came up again with the bases loaded, representing the tying run in an 11-7 game. But Costello struck out, ending the North Shore rally.
In the end, North Shore just couldn't string hits together against Keene starter Sean McDermott, who pitched 5 2/3 innings in his first start of the season. McDermott had put together a 2.45 ERA in five relief appearances before last night.
With the win, Keene moved a half-game ahead of North Shore in the North Division, though the Sanford Mainers can hang on to the division lead with a win in Holyoke tonight The Navigators continue their road trip tonight in Holyoke as they take on the Blue Sox.
