The Muckdogs' woes continue as they dropped the sixth of their last seven games by losing 5-2 to Vermont in the first game of a three-game series against the Lake Monsters. Batavia’s bullpen surrendered a run in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. The Marlins 2014 second overall selection also made his Muckdogs’ debut from the bullpen in Friday’s game.
Vermont got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning when two runs came across the plate. The first was on a solo home run from Marcos Brito sent a shot over the right field wall to get the Lake Monsters on the board.
Batavia answered back in the top of the fourth inning. Jerar Encarnacion ripped his second double of the day, and he would come around to score on a Michael Donadio home run to left field, his fourth of the year. That home run knotted the game at 2-2, but would be the only runs Batavia scored in the contest.
The fifth, sixth and seventh innings saw runs cross the plate for the Lake Monsters. The Muckdogs fell victim to two unearned runs in those innings. The deciding run came against the Marlins’ second overall pick in the 2014 MLB draft, Tyler Kolek. He would get charged with the loss in the game despite the unearned run that scored on a wild pitch.
Batavia was hobbled by three errors in the game, and helped Vermont’s winning run to cross the plate. Batavia’s bullpen surrendered costly runs again late in the ballgame that put their chances of winning out of reach.
Game two of the series is on Saturday, a 6:05 p.m. first pitch at Centennial Field in Burlington.
