Montpelier — Upper Valley Nighthawks hitters struck out a season-high 14 times and mustered only one hit in their final four innings to fall to the Vermont Mountaineers, 9-5, on Saturday night in a New England Collegiate Baseball League game at Montpelier Recreation Field.

Upper Valley (13-11) scored all of its runs in the first five innings and couldn’t manufacture a comeback against its in-state rival. The loss also snapped a four-game winning streak for the Nighthawks, who host the Plymouth Pilgrims today at the Maxfield Sports Complex.

“Costly errors in big spots,” said Upper Valley head coach Jason Szafarski. “They didn’t really beat us. … We just kept giving them chance after chance, extending innings for them. We’ve got to do a better job taking care of the baseball.”

The bottom five batters in the Upper Valley order — Fordham’s Matt Tarabek, Binghamton’s Anthony Meduri, Castleton’s Davis Mikell, Long Island’s Eddie Modica and Minnesota’s Riley Smith — went 1-for-19 with 11 strikeouts.

The Nighthawks built a 3-0 lead in the first three innings. Austin Wilhite (Georgia Tech) got Upper Valley on the board in the first, scoring on an RBI single from Ross Cadena (Wichita State). UV added to the lead in the third inning with back-to-back RBI singles from Anthony Quirion (Lamar) and Wilhite.

Nighthawks starter Jordy Allard (SNHU) went unscathed in the first two innings before things fell apart in the bottom of the third. Vermont scored four runs on six hits, five of them consecutively, to take its first lead of the night. A solo home run from Mountaineers’ Paul Witt (Virginia Commenwealth) added another run for the Mountaineers.

Allard exited the game after three innings. Ryan Parker (West Georgia) gave up three runs, one earned, on three hits in two innings of relief. Stephen Hansen (Iona) allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in two innings. Jack Ipsen (Bryant) struck out two and allowed one hit in the ninth.

Upper Valley tied the game in the fifth inning on a two-run single from Bryant Bowen (Southern Mississippi). But Vermont’s bats, and some Nighthawks defensive miscues, allowed the Mountaineers to retake the lead for good.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Quirion sent a low throw to first baseman Mikell, allowing the go-ahead run to score. It was Quirion’s team-leading ninth error of the summer.

Vermont’s Austin Masel (Holy Cross) sent an RBI single to center field to re-establish Vermont’s two-run lead. In the seventh inning, the Mountaineers’ Nate Grys (Western Michigan) sent an RBI triple into center field and scored on an error by Wilhite.

Troy’s Levi Thomas is scheduled to start against the Pilgrims today at 5 p.m.

Legion Baseball

Lebanon 8, Merrimack 0

Lebanon — Post 22 (8-1) blanked visiting Merrimack Post 98 (3-6) to maintain its hold on first place in New Hampshire Junior American Legion District A play.

Zach Moore struck out 11 over 5⅔ innings for the win, surrendering just one hit and three walks. Nolan Gantrish closed it out with two-hit, one-walk, one-strikeout work on the mound.

Gantrish singled twice, doubled and scored twice to pace the offense. Kyle Pelletier drive in two runs on a 2-for-3 day at the plate. Lebanon received runs from seven of the nine players in its lineup.

Post 22 visits Manchester’s Jutras Post at Gill Stadium on Wednesday night.