Nighthawks Tie Governor's Cup Series with Nail-biting Victory

By Thaddeus Sawyer

When the Nighthawks’ bus slowly pulled into the parking lot at Montpelier Recreation Field on Wednesday around 4:30 p.m., Charlie Jones had no expectation of finding himself in a baseball game nearly six hours later. 

The last player off the bus, Jones was on bucket duty during batting practice after locking down a one-out save the day prior against Sanford. The 6-foot-3 hurler was sporting a pair of pants a few sizes (or inches) two small, as Jones had lent Levi Jones his second pair of pants and was now wearing the outfielder’s size medium pants that cut off just below his knees.

Not wearing any socks, Charlie Jones was letting plenty of sun hit his calves as he lobbed balls back to the bucket sitting behind a mesh screen in center field.

With pitching back-to-back days being a rarity in the NECBL and the Nighthawks taking a 12-3 by the end of the sixth inning, there did not seem to be a world where Jones found himself on the mound against the Vermont Mountaineers.

Then the Mountaineers started to mount a comeback. Five runs in the seventh inning. Two innings in the eighth. Though the Nighthawks added a timely insurance run in the top of the ninth, the Mountaineers responded by loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the frame.

In came Jones, this time wearing a pair of socks that he had luckily packed, just in case.

“The eighth rolled around, and I was like, ‘yeah, there’s a chance for me,'” Charlie Jones said. I went over and told [pitching coach Brody Ware] I was good, and it worked out. So, [I'm] happy that I wore pants at all.”

The move to Jones did more than just work out for the Nighthawks. Jones, who has now yet to allow an earned run through 9 2/3 innings this summer, recorded three straight outs to slam the door on the Mountaineers (11-17) and secure a 13-10 Nighthawks (13-13-1) victory to keep their Governor's Cup hopes alive.

“This is not how we drew up this game going, but a win’s a win,” Jones said. “We’ll take ‘em how we can get ‘em. Keeping the [Governor’s] Cup series going, which is all we wanted to do tonight, so mission accomplished.”

By the time Jones entered the game, there were nearly thirty people in neon green jerseys packing the long third base dugout from wall to wall. Players were flooding out onto the warning track 

“It’s special,” Jones said. “ … It was cool. I looked over here, probably the second pitch, and I realized there was no one in the bullpen. That’s a rare type of energy for a summer ball game and I was super fired up.”

Providing plenty of energy behind the plate was catcher Nick Quagliato, who entered the game as a sub but ended the night as Upper Valley’s offensive leader on the evening.

The Boston College catcher smacked a pair of run scoring hits, a double in the fifth and single in the sixth, to lead the Nighthawks with four RBIs.

“That’s my mindset, always ready,” Quagliato said. “When No. 21 gets called into the lineup, I'm going to die in the field. I'm going to give it everything I got, and I'm going to lay it on the line.”

Third baseman Alejandro Puig also manufactured two RBIs with a hit by pitch in the fourth and a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Right fielder Levi Jones made the most of wearing Charlie Jones’ pants with two sacrifice hits of his own. Left fielder Kyle Langley opened the scoring with a sac fly in the fourth.

Infielders James Love, Willie Hurt and Tim Dickinson each contributed an RBI single during the Nighthawks’ seven-run outburst in the fifth inning. Center fielder Alex Kelsey also added one in the ninth for the insurance run.

Love played second base, his first time appearing anywhere but third this summer, while Hurt manned the cold corner. 

Making his second start of the summer Micah Wells battled through 3 2/3 frames, allowing just one base runner to reach through three before finding himself in some trouble in the fourth.

After the Mountaineers led off the bottom of the fourth with a four-pitch walk and an infield single, first baseman Bryce Rudisill popped one into shallow right field. Levi Jones charged the dying hit, only for the ball to bounce off the tip of his glove. The right fielder recovered in time to get the force out at second but the runner at third scored with ease.

Three batters later, right fielder Vincent Davis sent a long fly ball over the head of Alex Kelsey that fell in for a two-run triple that gave the Mountaineers their lone lead of the day, 3-2.

Shortstop Charlie Niehaus and third baseman Elliot Miles sparked the seventh inning rally by each doubling, with Miles’ scoring two. 

Rudisill picked up another RBI on a single into center before scoring on a passed ball on George Creighton’s first pitch as a Nighthawk. Left fielder David Alvarez also notched an RBI in both the seventh and eighth.

Dominic DeLoreto took the loss for Vermont after surrendering seven earned runs.

Joey Young earned an NECBL-leading fourth win of the season after tossing 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief as the first arm out of the bullpen.

At the plate, Love led the Nighthawks with three hits. Kelsey, Quagliato, Dickinson and Puig all posted multi-hit performances.

The Nighthawks also went 5-for-6 on stolen base attempts, with shortstop Frank Kelly swiping second to remain third in the NECBL with 15 stolen bases.

Officially riding a two-game winning streak after moving back to .500 on the year, the Nighthawks will be back on the road Thursday to visit the Keene SwampBats at Alumni Field.

The Nighthawks have yet to lose a game to the SwampBats this season, currently holding a 2-0-1 record against their Twin State foes.

First pitch in Keene, New Hampshire, is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Fans can stream the contest live on NECBL+.