Vermont Rallies For 12-9 Victory Sunday
LOWELL, MA — The Lake Monsters scored eight runs over the final two innings, including three of a six-run ninth coming on Zach Geertsma’s second home run of the game as Vermont evened the three-game series at LeLecheur Park with a 12-9 Futures League victory over the Lowell Spinners Sunday evening.
Geertsma (Mississippi State) gave Vermont a 4-3 lead in the sixth with a two-out solo homer, then in the ninth with Vermont clinging to a 6-5 lead smashed a three-run homer to left center. The Lake Monsters batted around in the inning and Geertsma just missed hitting a grand slam for his third homer as another drive to left center was caught just in front of the wall.
Lowell had taken a 5-4 lead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth on a potential inning-ending double play throwing error, but Bryan Richman (Cal Poly Pomona) snapped an 0-for-10 slump with a two-out RBI single to center on an 0-2 pitch to tie the game and Hunter Strohm (Mississippi State) followed with a go ahead RBI single in the eighth.
After six-run top ninth for Vermont, the Spinners were able to score four times on five hits in the bottom of the inning off Sam Lebrecque (Oberlin) to cut the deficit to three and got tying run to the plate before Lebrecque got strikeout to end game for his fifth save (he had retired final batter of eighth with tying run on third).
MONSTER STARS
* Geertsma 4-for-6, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI
* Strohm 2-for-5, R, 3 RBI
* James Henshon (Tufts) 2-for-5, BB, R, 3B, 2 RBI
MONSTER HIGHLIGHTS
* Geertsma is 1st Lake Monster with a 2-homer game on the road since July 1, 2010 (Marcus Jones 2 HR at Lowell)
* Vermont had just 1 hit over first 4 innings before 12 runs on 15 hits over final 5 innings
* Lake Monsters tied game 3-3 in 5th on Tyler Wiltsey (Rutgers) RBI single and Strohm 2-out, 2-run single
* Henshon had leadoff triple in 9th and later added a 2-run single for 12-5 lead
* Patrick Shrake (Colby) 2-for-5, 3 R and Richman 2-for-6, 2 R, 2 RBIÂ
* 4th time this season Vermont scored double-figure runs and 3rd win when opponent has 9+ runsÂ
* Starter Alvin Gomez (AIC) allowed 3 runs on 4 hits in 2nd inning, but just 1 hit and 2 walks over 4 IP
* Lebrecque had thrown 11 scoreless innings this season before allowing the 4 runs in 9th
* Vermont (18-9) remains alone atop the FCBL standings ahead of Worcester (16-10)
UPCOMINGÂ
Next Game: Monday at Lowell, 7:00pm (FCBLnetwork.com)
Next Home Game: Wednesday vs.Westfield, 6:35pm Â