PITTSFIELD, MA — Four Pittsfield pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout, while Alex Gebauer accounted for the game’s only run with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Suns snapped the Lake Monsters seven-game winning streak with a 1-0 Futures League victory over Vermont Tuesday night at Wachonah Park.
Over the previous 11 games the Lake Monsters had scored 5-plus runs 10 times while averaging 10 runs per game (110 total runs), but Tuesday were held scoreless for the first time this season. Vermont got singles in the first, third and sixth innings before a one-out Ryan Marra (Brown) double off the left-center field wall in the ninth, but a lineout and then a strikeout with tying run on third ended game.

Joe Mascio (St. John’s), making his first start of the season after three appearances out of the Lake Monsters bullpen tossed five perfect innings with eight strikeouts, six flyouts and one pop up to second base. Over the last seven games, Vermont starting pitchers have now retired 106 of 123 batters faced with a 0.73 ERA (37 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 43 SO).

Gebauer led off the bottom of the sixth inning by swatting a 0-1 pitch from Liam Reiner (CVU/St. Lawrence) for his first home run of the season. Pittsfield threatened in the seventh by loading the bases with no outs, but Wyatt Cameron (Middlebury HS/NE College) came out of the bullpen for back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout to keep score 1-0.

Monster Performances
* Joe Mascio 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 SO
* Wyatt Cameron 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO
* Tommy Hawke 2-for-4

Monster Highlights
* Tommy Hawke (Wake Forest) had 2 of Vermont’s 4 hits (one-out single in 3rd and leadoff single 6th)
* Jackson Kline (Kansas) had a one-out single in the 1st and has hit safely in each of his last 8 games started (15-for-30)
* Both pitching staffs finished with 12 strikeouts (Pittsfield hurlers 3 walks, Lake Monsters 2)

Beyond The Boxscore
* Despite loss, Vermont has still won 22 of its last 25 games and its 23-6 record is franchise-best after 29 games
* Since July 1st of 2021, the Lake Monsters have a 53-12 regular-season record (30-6 to end 2021, 23-6 in 2022)

Next Game: Wednesday at Pittsfield, 6:35pm
Next Home Game: Thursday vs. Nashua 6:35pm