(Written by Muskrats outfielder Niko Fraser)
For the first time in the comfort of home field advantage at Robbie Mills Field, the Muskrats were shut out. It just so happened to be the same night that hundreds of fans celebrated the Muskrats inaugural season in Laconia for Fan Appreciation Night.
The streaking Lowell All-Americans defeated the struggling Muskrats 5-0, on a night when Laconia could have gained ground on the beaten first place North Shore Navigators.
Kyle Owings (Spartanburg Methodist) took the mound for just his second start since high school. Owings’ five punch outs through 5.2 innings came up short without the help of the Muskrat offense. The game was grim from the beginning, as Lowell’s leadoff man Matt Miller (Northeastern), who reached base four times in his five plate appearances, singled and later scored on Tim Quinn’s (Franklin Pierce) single.
The All-Americans continued their scoring in the second as designated hitter Matt Collins (Tufts) delivered a single and scored later that inning on Miller’s second single of the night. The night cruised by uneventfully, until the sixth inning when Sean Reilly (Florida International University) singled to lead off the inning and later scored on an errant throw back to the pitcher by catcher Rob Harding (Spartanburg Methodist).
Pat Epps (Central Connecticut) delivered a 3-4 night, which gave him five hits in 24 hours. However, the Muskrats’ were unable to deliver offensively in key situations, loading the bases with less than two outs in the second inning and coming up unproductive. Les Williams (Northeastern) showed no signs of intimidation, sitting down Anthony Iacomini (South Carolina) and Tom Rombilus (New Haven) respectively to end the threat. Threatening again in the seventh inning against reliever Nate Bayuk (Boston College), the Muskrats loaded the bases only to end the inning on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Ryan Lewis (Columbus State).
In the ninth inning, reliever Jimmy Revan (South Carolina) toed the rubber against the red hot Effrey Valdez (NYIT) with the leadoff man Miller on first, again. With a 14 game hitting streak on the line, Valdez sent a Revan pitch deep into the night for a two-run home run, his 13th RBI in the last eight games. The home run spread the gap, putting the All-Americans up 5-0, which ended the scoring of the night.
Williams took the win for Lowell, pitching 6.1 innings, with four strikeouts, two walks and seven hits.
Owings took the loss, pitching 5.2 innings, with six strikeouts, seven hits and three walks.
The Muskrats travel to New Bedford tomorrow night to face the Bay Sox at 6:30 p.m., a game originally scheduled to be played in Laconia. New Bedford is now just 1.5 games behind Laconia for the final playoff spot. The game can be heard on the NECBL Broadcast Network.
