Vermont erases a five-point deficit to even Governors Cup Series with 10-5 win

July 20, 2024 – New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Vermont Mountaineers Press Release

HARTFORD, Vt. – After a five-day absence, the Vermont Mountaineers staged their biggest comeback of the season with a 10-5 victory over the Upper Valley Nighthawks in game six of the Governors Cup Series. The Mountaineers rallied from a five-point deficit to win their sixth straight game.

The base

Points: Vermont 10-Upper Valley 5

Records: Vermont (23-8) | Upper Valley (16-18)

Location: Hartford, Vt. | Maxfield Sports Complex

Quick summary

Upper Valley took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning with a homerun by Gehrig Frei, which scored three runs.

The home team scored two more runs to take a 5-0 lead in the second inning, ousting Jacob Lapham from the game.

Vermont broke the shutout in the third inning when Casey Bishop led off the frame and committed an error before stealing second base. He was driven in by Josiah Ragsdale to make it 5-1.

The Mountaineers’ rally continued into the fourth inning, all with two outs. After a hit batter and a double, Tyler Cox made it 5-3 with a two-out, two-run single. He came around to score two batters later on a single by Pierce Bauerle, making it 5-4 in Upper Valley’s favor.

After the Nighthawks turned a double play in the fifth inning to lead by just one run, Vermont took the lead in the sixth inning when Tyler Cox hit his second home run of the season with a two-run homer.

The Mountaineers scored runs in each of the next innings, with Tyler Ganus pinch hitting a two-run single at just the right time to make it 9-5 in the eighth inning.

The bullpen combined for seven-plus shutout innings with relievers that limited the Nighthawks to just four baserunners in that span. Vermont added another run in the ninth for a 10-5 lead.

Game Notes

WP: Derek Benzinger (1-0) | LP: Brendan Walker (0-1) |

DM Jefferson now has a 12-game on-base streak. He also had two doubles that night.

Cox entered the game with just three RBIs. He drove in a game-high four runs, including his second home run of the season.

Derek Benzinger came on as a relief pitcher in the fifth inning and went two innings without scoring a run.

Ganus continued his streak of reaching base in every game he played in with his pinch hit single in the eighth inning.

Ragsdale extended his two-hit streak to nine games.

Next one

Vermont is taking the day off as the 2024 NECBL All-Star Game takes place at Muzzy Field in Bristol, Connecticut on Sunday, July 21. The home run derby is scheduled to begin at 2:45 p.m., while the home run game is scheduled to kick off at 5:10 p.m. You can watch the home run derby on the NECBL Broadcast Network, while the game is exclusive to ESPN Plus. Here’s all the info for the day. Vermont returns to action with a split double header on Monday, July 22 at Montpelier Recreation Field. Game one follows on from June 6 at Martha’s Vineyard. It’s scheduled to start at 4 p.m. Game two is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. You can watch it on the NECBL Broadcast Network.

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