Keene, n.h.
Upper Valley’s offense exploded for 18 hits and three home runs in a 10-7 victory over the first-place Keene Swamp Bats on Tuesday night at Alumni Field, breaking a three-game slide with its most offensively productive game this season.
The Nighthawks amassed 19 hits and six runs over its early-season slide, suffering losses to NECBL Northern Division foes North Adams, Sanford and the Valley Blue Sox on Sunday. A day away from the field, along the insertion of newcomers Brian Mims and Zack Canada (both from UNC Wilmington) and Walker Grisanti (Vanderbilt) into Upper Valley’s lineup, helped the Nighthawks’ bats come alive.
“Definitely more of what we expect,” Nighthawks head coach Nick Cenatiempo said.
Upper Valley struck first in the first inning on an RBI double from Mims — the first of seven by the Hawks — that brought home center fielder Alex Hanson from second base.
“I think it’s one of those things where you’re playing six straight games with virtually no subs, the guys get beat down,” Cenatiempo said.
“I think they got a refresher. I think some of the guys got to play, some of the guys got some rest. We had some fresh bodies in there, which helped.”
Upper Valley added to the tally with three runs in the fourth inning off back-to-back doubles from power hitters Joey Denison and Grayson Padgett, the NECBL’s top hitter with a .441 average. Denison and shortstop Matt Maul each scored in the inning to put Upper Valley up, 4-0.
Denison followed it up with his first home run of the season in the fifth inning. Mims (a two-run bomb) and Padgett hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning to put the Nighthawks up 10-2 heading to the bottom of the sixth inning.
Keene crawled back into the game with a pair of two-run home runs from Tommy LaCongo, in the fifth inning, and Jordan Howard, in the sixth inning. Nighthawks starting pitcher Houston Mabray was otherwise perfect in the victory, with four earned runs, one walk, five hits and six recorded strikeouts in six innings of work.
Jarod Yoakam, Dakota Edwards and Nick Jones split the final three innings of work for the Nighthawks.
Padgett and Denison led the way offensively for the Nighthawks, each going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Mims, in his first start in a Nighthawks uniform, was 2-for-6 with a home run and four RBIs.
Mims was invited to the Team USA Baseball trail camp in Southern California next week, competing for a spot on a national team that will travel to Japan and Cuba through July. Mims will leave the Upper Valley on Sunday.
“He’s a good baseball player but he lengthens our lineup more,” Cenatiempo said of Mims. “It lets us move some guys down so that they can see a little bit more fastballs. You saw Denison move down today.”
“Mims,” he added. “He’s as good as advertised.”
Offensively at least, the Nighthawks’ identity is slowly coming together — an offensively prominent lineup backed up by a strong defense. The additions of Grisanti, a lock as the Nighthawks’ lead-off batter, and the UNCW pair has given Cenatiempo a chance to be patient with the Nighthawks other struggling bats.
Infielder Sean Breen was given yet another night off after going 1-for-12 against Winnipesaukee, North Adams and Sanford last week, though did make one plate appearance in the eighth inning.
Matt Maul had a bounce-back game as hitting ninth, going 2-for-4 with a sacrifice fly. First baseman Charlie Concannon continued to struggle, going 0-for-4 on Tuesday with a walk and two strikeouts.
“Maul, I thought, played very well today and he’s very good defensively,” Cenatiempo said. “I think Charlie is an excellent player, but he’s young. I think he’s still figuring things out with the wooden bat. He’s still learning.”
The Nighthawks have a big week ahead of them, with games at the Newport Gulls tonight and the Valley Blue Sox on Friday become returning home Saturday in a rematch against the Swamp Bats at the Maxfield Sports Complex.
Cordes Baker (1-0), the South Carolina-Lancaster product, will make his second start of the season against the Gulls. He threw four scoreless innings in a 4-1 win vs. Winnipesaukee last week, recording three strikeouts and allowing only one hit.