BURLINGTON, VT — Jack Kelleher tossed a complete-game four-hit shutout and Hunter Kingsbury went 3-for-4 with four RBI to lead the Vermont Lake Monsters to a run-rule 12-0, seven-inning victory over the Norwich Sea Unicorns in Futures League action Thursday night at historic Centennial Field.
Kelleher (Northern Essex CC) retired the first 12 batters he faced, 17 of 18 (leadoff single in fifth), 18 of 20 (two-out double in 6th) and 20 of 25 overall. He gave up a one-out single in seventh, but promptly picked the runner off first, before a two-out walk and single. His 83rd and final pitch was a flyout to center to end the game.
Kingsbury (Bryant), who had not played since July 24th (missing five games), had hits in each of his first three at bats with an RBI single in the bottom of the first, two-run single in the second and an RBI triple in the fourth inning that gave the Lake Monsters a 5-0 lead.
Vermont put the game away in the fifth, scoring seven runs with the first three scoring without the benefit of a base hit (4 walks, 5 wild pitches and a throwing error). The final four runs scored on consecutive singles from Nick Frontino (Mississippi State), Will Mahala (Virginia) and Leandro Guevara (AIC). Frontino’s single was a two-run base hit and Guevara’s was his second RBI single of the game (other in first).
MONSTER PERFORMANCES
* Kelleher 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO (83 pitches, 60 strikes)
* Kingsbury 3-for-4, 1 R, 3B, 4 RBI
* Tyler Harmony (Northeastern) 2-for-3, 3 R
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
* Vermont (36-18) have won 3 straight and 12 of last 14 to move 18 games over .500 for 1st time
* Lake Monsters 3rd shutout victory of the season and 1st since June 5th at Norwich)
* The 12-0 win was Vermont’s 2nd “mercy rule” win of the season (11-0 at Norwich on June 5th)
* Vermont 16-1 all-time in “mercy rule” games, including 13 straight wins dating back to 2021 season
* Lake Monsters finish with 17-8 record in July and are now combined 80-43 (.650) for the month of July in their 5 FCBL seasons
* Kelleher is 1st Lake Monster with 7 complete innings pitched since Patrick Harrington June 26, 2021 at Norwich and 1st at Centennial since joining FCBL
* 8 of 9 Lake Monster hitters scored including 3 runs each for Xander Meissner (Bethany Lutheran) and Harmony
* Lake Monsters12 runs on 10 hits despite not having Sam Cavossa (FCBL leader w/66 hits, 40 runs), Shaun McMillan (#2 with 58 hits, 39 runs) and Bryan Richman (#4 w/52 hits, #4 w/31 runs) in lineup
Next Game: Friday vs. New Britain, 6:35pm
Promotion: Summer Of Love Night
Broadcast: WYCI (TV), fcblnetwork.com (stream)