Vermont Drops Series Opener 8-1

BURLINGTON, VT --- Chris Edmondson went 4-for-5 with a one run, one double and three RBI as the Batavia Muckdogs opened a three-game series at historic Centennial Field with an 8-1 victory over the Vermont Lake Monsters in New York-Penn League action Saturday evening.

Batavia scored three runs in the second inning, including a two-run single from Edmondson for a 3-0 lead. The Muckdogs had gotten their first run on a leadoff single and then three straight one-out walks by Vermont starter Aaron Barrett.

The Muckdogs added two unearned runs in the third before Vermont got its only run of the game in the fifth on a Kevin Keyes sacrifice fly following back-to-back singles from Ronnie LaBrie and Jason Martinson. Batavia scored three more times in the sixth, including RBI doubles from Edmondson and Victor Sanchez.

Batavia starter John Gast (2-0) allowed one run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts over five innings for the win, while Chris Corrigan gave up two hits in four scoreless innings of relief for his first save of the season.

Joey Bergman was 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI for the Muckdogs, while Sanchez and Patrick Bistera each had two hits. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Batavia (28-20), which has won 18 of its last 25 games.

Barrett (0-2) was charged with three runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts over two innings in his first start of the season. Glenn Gibson gave up five runs (two earned) in 3 2/3 innings of relief, while Wilson Eusebio four hits and four strikeouts in 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Blake Kelso had two of the Lake Monsters five hits on the night.

The homestand continues on Sunday afternoon as Vermont (26-22) hosts Batavia beginning at 1:05 pm. The Lake Monsters, who remain 1/2 game in front of Connecticut for first-place in the Stedler Division, will be celebrating Champ's Birthday on Sunday with lots of his mascot friends and a free Lake Monsters comic book for all fans in attendance.