The Upper Valley Nighthawks started the week off in contention for one of the top spots in the NECBL’s Northern Division. But after going 3-3 in five games last week, the Nighthawks (9-10) have slipped to fifth place and 3½ games back of the division-leading Keene Swamp Bats (12-6) heading into the weekend. Only the Vermont Mountaineers (5-13, seven games back) are lower in the league standings.
Offense hasn’t been the issue. Three Nighthawks batters, Joey Denison (Troy), Grayson Padgett (Houston) and Alex Hanson (St. Petersburg) all ranked among the NECBL’s top hitters.
Denison and Hanson, both outfielders, have appeared in all 19 games for Upper Valley, though Hanson has moved to different positions in the lineup. Padgett, a late addition to the Nighthawks who in the first few weeks jumped out to lead the league in offensive statistics, missed all six games last week due to a nagging back injury, sidelining one of the NECBL’s most powerful hitters.
As a team, Upper Valley still leads the league offensively — to an extent. Through 19 games, Upper Valley has amassed a league-leading 183 hits and 43 doubles. But scoring runs has been an issue. The Nighthawks are tied for sixth in the league with 90 runs scored, fifth in the league in home runs (12) and sixth in RBIs (75). Upper Valley has left 151 runners on base, fifth in the NECBL.
Most notably, the Nighthawks have lost their infield depth. Brian Mims (UNCW) left the Upper Valley last Sunday to try out for Team USA. With Sean Breen (Iona), Blake Rowlett (East Tennessee) and Grayson Byrd (Clemson) also gone, the Nighthawks are down to their final four infielders: shortstop Matt Maul (St. Joseph’s), second baseman Al Molina (Seton Hall), first baseman Charlie Concannon (St. Joseph’s) and third baseman Zack Canada (UNCW).
Upper Valley’s depth is still its outfield, with five starters competing for three spots. Hanson, Denison and Walker Grisanti (Vanderbilt) have filled those voids with Padgett and Trent Leimkuehler (St. Louis) dealing with injuries. But once healthy, the job will get tough for manager Nick Cenatiempo, since his outfielders, thus far, have been his most productive offensive players.
Pitching has not been the team’s strength, though over the past week it has shown signs of life. Collectively, the team is ranked eighth in the NECBL with an ERA of 3.79, brought up by closer Brian Lau and relief pitcher Dakota Edwards, both with ERAs above 7.00.
But Nighthawks starters have made improvements over the past week. Houston Mabray (Troy) and Cordes Baker (South Carolina -Lancaster) have started the season with several strong starts. Baker (3-0) with a 2.51 ERA, giving up ten hits and four earned runs in 14.1 innings of work.
Cenatiempo is still looking for his go-to closer. Billy Layne (Seton Hall) has certainly made his case, going five innings Monday night against the Sanford Mainers in a 13-inning 4-3 victory.
Lau, after struggling through several late-inning saves in the team’s first few weeks, has settled in to a rhythm of late. Lau now is 1-1, earning the win with some late-game heroics in relief of Layne last Monday.
The Nighthawks play seven games in seven days next week, four against Northern Division foes starting Monday night at the North Adams SteepleCats.