Keene Swamp Bats power past Martha’s Vineyard Sharks for NECBL title

The Keene Swamp Bats won their fifth NECBL crown, toppling Martha’s Vineyard. (Swamp Bats)

The Keene Swamp Bats dethroned the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s two-time defending champions earlier this week before finding themselves in the winner’s circle last Thursday night at Alumni Field.

After beating the Valley Blue Sox in a Northern Division championship series that featured three one-run games, the Swamp Bats took care of business in two games against the upstart Martha’s Vineyard Sharks to claim their first league title since 2013 and become the first summer collegiate league champion in New England this summer.

Keene finished the summer with a 26-18 record, needing all 44 games to net a half-game advantage over Valley in the division race. First-year field manager Gary Calhoun saw the team mold together from its June beginnings and remained a consistent bunch until the finish.