The two teams had traded two-run frames in the sixth inning with the Starfires getting a two-run single after a pair of walks from Vermont reliever Will Parkinson (Columbia) before the Lake Monsters tied the game on a Brian Schaub (Trinity) two-run single to center in the bottom half after back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt.
Starfires were able to escape further damage in the sixth with a double play and groundout to keep the game tied, then held Vermont to just a single in the seventh and a walk in the eighth to close out the win.
Monster Performances
Nick Berger 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 S0
Evan Clark 1.2 IP, 0 H, O R, 0 BB, 5 SO
Gio Cueto 2-for-3, 1 R
Monster Highlights
* Evan Clark (USC) struckout all 5 batters he faced, starting with final out top 7th, side in 8th and 1st batter of 8th
* Schuab’s 2-run single came after Jackson Kline (Kansas) and Gio Cueto (Wake) singles followed by an error on a sac bunt to load the bases bottom 6th with no outs
* Cueto has hit in each of his 10 games started for Vermont, going 16-for-39 (.410)
Beyond The Boxscore
* Lake Monsters are still franchise-best 28-12 after 40 games (previous best was 25-15 in 1996 NYPL title season)
* Vermont now 5-7 when scoring 4 runs or less in a game (23-5 when 5+ runs)
* Jimmy Evans (Tufts) was 0-for-3 with sac bunt, snapping 20-game streak of reaching base safely by hit, walk or HBP
* Kline’s 6th-inning single was his 42nd base hit of season, passing Vermont FCBL high of 41 hits last season by both Ethan Anderson and M.J. Metz
Next Game: Tuesday vs. Pittsfield, 6:35pm
“Hot Dog Hysteria” with 25-cent hot dogs on sale all night long