BURLINGTON, VT — The Lake Monsters rallied from an early 6-1 deficit to take a 9-7 lead, but the Pittsfield Suns got a go ahead two-run double from Spencer Berson and held on for a 10-9 victory over Vermont in Futures League action Saturday night at historic Centennial Field.

The Suns built the 6-1 with two runs in the top of the first, second and fourth innings, but the Lake Monsters answered with six unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth capped off by a Kyle Lodise (Augusta) grand slam homer for a 7-6 Vermont lead.

After Pittsfield tied the game with a run in 5th, Cooper O’Brien (Vergennes/Colby-Sawyer) gave the lead back to the Lake Monsters at 9-7 with a two-out, two-run double to  left-center. The Suns cut the deficit to one with a run in the sixth before Berson lined a one-out down down the left-field line to give Pittsfield the lead.

Vermont got runners to second and third with one out in the ninth on singles from Will Binder (Albany) and Antonio Perrotta (Virginia), but Suns reliever Evan Cali got a pair of flyouts to center to end the game and earn the save.

MONSTER PERFORMANCES
* Lodise 2-for-5 with grand slam
* Perrota 3-for-5, 2 R, 2B
* Geordan Jackson Murphy (UMass-Dartmouth) 2.2 IP, 4 H 3 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 4 SO

MONSTER HIGHLIGHTS
* Lodise grand slam was first by Vermont batter since Ethan Anderson at New Britain July 31, 2021 and 1st at Centennial since Chris Brown vs. Brockton July 21, 2021
* Lodise had been 0-for-12 for the season before the grand slam, which was also the first home run of the season by a Lake Monster
* Vermont pitchers allowed 10 runs on 13 hits, but also recorded 17 strikeouts

Next Game: Sunday vs. Pittsfield, 5:05pm at Centennial Field