It felt like the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks were going to coast to a championship. They were up 7 runs in the bottom of the ninth inning in game 1 of the three-game Fay Vincent Sr. Cup Championship series. They had their reliable closer waiting in the bullpen, and game 2, a possible clincher, would be at home in front of the Vineyard faithful at the Shark Tank.
But then came the Keene SwampBats — who finished the New England Baseball League (NECBL) in first place. In front of their New Hampshire fans, the SwampBats tallied an amazing 7 runs in the last half of the inning, capped off by a walk off grand slam by Ripken Reese (No. 33).
After the whiplash, the Sharks return home for a critical game 2 that they must win to keep their championship hopes alive. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Shark Tank.
The test for the Sharks will be recovering from yesterday’s tough loss. “We put that [game] behind us and focus on the one ahead,” Sharks general manager Russ Curran said Friday morning.
Thursday night’s game was mostly all Sharks to start. The Vineyard squad had built a 12-5 lead, fueled by five runs in the second inning with a three run home run from Blake Binderup (No. 46), one run in the sixth, and then two in the seventh with home runs by catcher Max Kaufer (No. 27) — who has been on fire this playoffs — and Will Hampton (No. 8). They tallied another four in the top of the eighth that included a two-run homer from Carter Bentley (No. 27).
Despite quality batting by the Sharks throughout the game, it wasn’t enough to keep the Swamp Bats from clawing their way back.
For Curran, the turning point in the last inning came down to an exhausted bullpen following back-to-back games all week.
“We are playing a lot of games and running out of pitching,” Curran told the Times. “There is pitch count and you have to follow the rules.”
On the mound for the Sharks tonight to start the game will be Chayce Kieck (No. 10) who was a force against the Bristol Blues in the division semifinals, striking out seven batters and going seven strong innings to earn the Sharks a 11-0 victory and a spot in the Division Championship against the Newport Gulls.
Now fresh off a 6-3 win over the Newport Gulls in the Southern Division Finals on Wednesday followed by the tough loss in New Hampshire last night, the Sharks will be looking to their strong offense to even the series.
Key players to watch on the Sharks tonight include catcher Max Kaufer (No. 27) from University of South Carolina, who has hit at least one home run in the past three games, driving in more than a total of seven runners. Also, keep an eye out for Will Hampton (No. 8) from Vanderbilt University, who hit a home run and scored twice in Game 1 against the SwampBats. Blake Binderup (No. 46) from Texas A&M University, Gio Colasante (No. 36) from Harvard University, and Carter Bently (No. 17) from Northeastern University, have all homered this postseason and are also expected to provide some firepower for a win.
A victory for the Sharks tonight would force a decisive game 3 in Keene on Saturday. Fans can watch the game live on ESPN+ or follow updates on the NECBL website.