NASHUA, NH — Down 1-0 with two outs and no one on in the top of the ninth inning, the Lake Monsters kept the game alive with an infield single and walk before Shaun McMillan blasted a 2-2 pitch deep over the fence in left-center field to give Vermont a 3-1 Futures League victory over the Nashua Silver Knights Wednesday night at Holman Stadium.
Vermont had seven hits over the first eight innings, but could not score as they left runners on 1st-n-2nd with back-to-back strikeouts in first, 1st-n-3rd with no outs and and bases loaded with one out in third (runner thrown out at plate after flyout) and 1st-n-3rd with no outs and bases loaded with one out on back-to-back strikeouts in the eighth.
But in the ninth with two outs, Sam Cavossa (Saint Michael’s) collected his third hit of the game with an infield single behind second base and Nolan Colby (Fairfield) walked on a 3-1 pitch. McMillan (St. John’s), who had walked in his first two plate appearances and singled in the 8th, fell behind 1-2 to Nashua reliever Brandon Metivier and took a ball to even the count before launching his league-leading ninth home run of the season.
In the bottom of the ninth Sean Gamble (Bethany Lutheran) got a strikeout to start the inning, but then allowed a pair of walks and a wild pitch putting the tying runs in scoring position. Gamble then struckout two of the top hitters in the league, Ernie Little and Patrick Shrake, to end the game.
MONSTER PERFORMANCES
* McMillan 2-for-3, 2 BB, R, HR, 3 RBI
* Adam Schwartz (Colby) 4.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 3 SO
* Jack McLaughlin (Tufts) 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
* Vermont improves to 26-16 with its first win this season when trailing after 8 innings (last July 9, 2024)
* Schwartz allowed a leadoff double, sac bunt and RBI groundout in bottom of first, but did not allow another hit over his 4.2 innings (scattered 5 walks)
* McLaughlin followed with 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing Nashua’s only other hits with 1 out in 8th
* McMillan’s 3 RBI increased his league-leading total to 41 (8 short of Jimmy Evans team record 49 in 2022)
* 15th multi-hit game of the season for Cavossa, who increased his league-leading hit total to 58
* With his 5th save of season, Gamble is now tied for league-lead and his 17 career saves are tied with Wyatt Cameron for 1st-place in Lake Monsters career
Next Game: Thursday vs. Westfield, 6:35pm
Promotion: Military Appreciation Night!
Broadcast: WYCI (TV), FCBLnetwork.com (stream)