BURLINGTON, VT — Brian Schuab went 2-for-4 with six RBI coming on a two-run double, bases loaded hit by pitch and a three-run walkoff homer in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Vermont Lake Monsters won their Futures League regular-season home finale 7-4 over the Brockton Rox Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd of 4,415 at historic Centennial Field.
Brockton had tied the game 4-4 with on a leadoff homer in the top of the ninth inning before a one-out hit by pitch, wild pitch and intentional walk brought Schuab to the plate. Down 0-2 in the count with a called strike and two foul balls, Schuab drilled the next pitch just inside left-field foul pole for his sixth home run of the season and Vermont’s first walkoff homer since Chris Brown on July 21, 2021. His six-RBI night was the first for a Vermont player at Centennial Field since June 24, 2005 when Dee Brown had 6 RBI for the Lake Monsters in a NY-Penn League game.
Vermont starter Chase Carey (Colchester/UMass-Dartmouth, who entered the game with just 8 innings pitched in five appearances this summer, allowed two runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings, while fellow Vermonters Liam Reiner (CVU/St. Lawrence) 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Wyatt Cameron (Middlebury/NE College) one run in one inning of relief.
Lake Monsters had taken a 3-1 lead in the fourth on Schuab’s two-run double and a Jordan Kelly (Princeton) RBI single, while Schuab bases loaded hit by pitch gave Vermont a 4-2 lead in the seventh inning. Vermont (44-18) head to Brockton for the regular-season finale 1:30pm on Sunday before the Lake Monsters return home to Centennial Field to host game one of a best-of-three FCBL semifinal series Monday at 6:35pm.
Monster Performances
Brian Schuab 2×4, HBP, 2 R, 2B, HR, 6 RBI
Jordan Kelly 2-for-4, 1 RBI
Chase Carey 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 SO
Monster Highlights
* Vermont was outhit 11-5 in the game, but 3 of the 5 hits were RBI base hits (2-run double, RBI single and 3-run homer)
* Schuab home run was the Lake Monsters 33rd homer of the season, passing the 32 home runs Vermont hit last season
* Lake Monsters are 23-3 in games they hit a home run, while 12-7 when their opponent homers
Beyond The Boxscore
* 1st sellout crowd of 4,415 at Centennial Field since August 16, 2006
* Vermont finishes with 28-7 record at Centennial, including wins in 10 of its last 11 games at home (2021 Lake Monsters were 26-11 at Centennial)
* 3rd-most home wins in franchise’s 28 seasons, surpassed only by 29-9 in 1996 (NYPL champs) and tied with 28-11 in 1995 (NYPL runners up)
* Vermont outscored its opponents 263-149 in the 35 regular season home games, averaging 7.51 runs per game
Next Game: Regular-season finale Sunday at Brockton, 1:30pm