The Laconia Muskrats put together a complete, balanced game Tuesday night, helping them snap a three-game losing streak, and stay undefeated against Sanford in 2012.
Laconia put together a season-high 19 hit performance, two more than they accumulated in their 18-4 win at Mystic, and one more than Newport had in their June 30 win at Robbie Mills Field. It fueled the Muskrats to a 12-9 victory, their fifth over the Mainers.
The Muskrats hit five home runs on the night, including two more for League-leader Danny Collins (Troy), and a third homer in three days for Regan Flaherty (Seminole CC).
Nevin Wilson (Vanderbilt) was given the ball in his second start, for a Muskrats’ staff desperate for a quality start. Wilson wavered, but battled, lasting 5.1 innings, the longest outing of any Muskrat since John Healy’s win at Mystic on June 29. He earned a no-decision, giving up seven hits, six earned runs, and five walks, while striking out eight.
It was enough to give the offense a chance, with Flaherty smacking a two-run homer on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the first. The run scoring went back and forth through the middle innings, until Laconia pulled ahead for good in the sixth,
Collins homered in his last two at-bats of the night, both two-run shots with new Muskrat Wil Leathers (Spartanburg Methodist) on base, good for a 3-for-5, four-RBI game. For Collins, they were home runs nine and ten on the season, a League high and Muskrats all-time and single-season records.
Leathers was a triple away from the cycle in his second game for Laconia, going 4-for-4 with four runs on the night, on base five times with a walk. He is now 6-for-8 with five runs to start his career as a Muskrat.
Vince Conde (Vanderbilt) drove in his 15th run, and has at least one RBI in six of the last seven games. Tim Swatek (Fordham) got the win on the mound for Laconia, as the pitcher of record when Laconia went ahead for good in the sixth.
The win expands Laconia’s cushion to two games over the Mainers, who sit in the fourth-and-final playoff spot in the East.
Wednesday is one of the most highly anticipated nights of the season at Robbie Mills Field, with the 2011 NECBL Champion Keene Swamp Bats returning to the site of their trophy win last summer. The New Hampshire rivals met in Keene Monday with discouraging results for the Muskrats. Come see the home team get its revenge on the 4th of July. Note the special start time of 5:00 PM.
