Vermont Lake Monsters

Vermont Earns 4-2 Win at Nashua Saturday

boxscore

NASHUA, NH — The Vermont Lake Monsters moved closer to wrapping up the 2026 Futures League regular-season title after jumping out to an early four-run lead before holding on for a 4-2 victory over the Nashua Silver Knights Saturday night at Holman Field. 

Combined with a New Britain 6-3 loss, Vermont (37-15) needs just a combination of either two Lake Monster wins, a victory and Bees loss or two New Britain (32-20)  losses over the final six games of the regular-season to earn its third FCBL regular-season title in the last six seasons. 

After a Ryan Ruggiero (Bucknell) RBI single plated Brad Johnston (Swarthamore) with the game’s first run in the third inning, the Lake Monsters added three more runs in the fourth, including a one-out Thomas Moss (Trinity TX) RBI double and Johnston RBI single, for a 4-0 advantage. 

Starter Ethan Freed (Quinnipiac) tossed four scoreless innings before Nashua scored twice off reliever Will Torres (AIC) in fifth. Brady Lane (Brandeis) got out of further trouble in the inning by getting the final out with two runners on, while Max Williams (Tufts) came in to get a strikeout with the bases loaded to end seventh and Brandon Rovinelli (Columbia) struckout final two batters of game with tying run at plate for the save. 

MONSTER STARS
* Johnston 2-for-3, BB, 2 R, 2B, RBI
* Freed 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 SO
* Rovinelli 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO for 2nd save

MONSTER HIGHLIGHTS
* Lane (5-1) 1 BB, 1 SO in 1.1 scoreless IP to earn his FCBL-leading 5th win (along with 2 saves)
* Freed’s 4 punchouts give him a team-best 38 strikeouts over 28.2 IP this season
* Moss has hit in 4 straight (7-for-16) and 12 of last 14 games (17×52, .327)
* Johnston is 6-for-12 with 4 runs, 2 doubles, 2 RBI in last 3 games (2 base hits in each game)
* Colin West (Baldwin Wallace) went 1-for-4 in Vermont debut (64th different Lake Monster player)
* Vermont now  23-1 when holding opponent to 4 runs or less (16-0 when 2 or less)
* Lake Monsters 8-8 when they score 4 runs or less (29-7 when 5+ runs)
* Vermont finishes with a 16-10 road record on the season

UPCOMING 
Next Game: Sunday vs. Lowell, 5:05pm 
Promotion: CHAMP’s Birthday (500 Lunchbox Giveaway)
Next Home Game: WYCI (TV), FCBLnetwork.com (streaming), WJOY 1230am (radio)