LIVE: Navs @ Vermont, 7/28

North Shore Navigators (23-12, 2nd place) @ Vermont Mountaineers (19-17, 4th place)

It's a rare (for the last few weeks, anyway) beautiful evening up here in Montpelier as the Navs get ready to finish up their season series against the Mountaineers. So far, the Navs have taken 4 of 5 of the teams' meetings - including both up here in the Green Mountain State. The biggest potential development here tonight is that if the Navs head back to Mass with a win - and Holyoke loses at least one game of their doubleheader against Sanford - they'll clinch a playoff spot.

*** I'm told that as of ~6:00 PM, Sanford was leading Holyoke 8-2 in Game 1. If that score holds, then a Navs victory seals a postseason berth.

Pitching Matchup

NS: #34 Jimmy Lisowski (2-0, 1.42 ERA, 31.2 IP, 21 K, 12 BB)
VT: #18 Eric Smith (2-2, 4.72 ERA, 34.1 IP, 29 K, 14 BB)

Starting Lineups

Navs/Vermont
Little CF / Roof SS
Zurcher SS / Panzarella LF
McNaughton LF / Harris CF
Provencher RF / Felix RF
Kuehl 2B / Mercer DH
Belcher 3B / Sherry 2B
Costello DH / Paquette 1B
Graham 1B / Ogrinc C
Hill C / Duffy 3B

Live Updates

9:20 PM: Just got word that Sanford has beaten Holyoke in the second game of their doubleheader, which officially puts the Navs in the playoffs. Not the way they would have liked to clinch, to be sure, but that's one thing that's off their minds heading into this six-game-in-three-day stretch.

9:13 PM: And that's the game as Zurcher flies to right. I'll try to get an update on the Sanford/Holyoke score after going down to the field for interviews.

9:08 PM: Little lines a single to left, loading the bases. Vermont's manager isn't messing around, as he's come out to replace Balsinde with the Mountaineer closer, Dusty Odenbach.

9:05 PM: A little bit of life here with two outs. Garton worked a pinch hit walk and Hill ripped a single to right. Little is up looking to extend the game.

8:56 PM: With the help of another runner hosed at second by Hill, Kowalski works a smooth inning. The Navs' have one more shot here in the ninth against Vermont reliever AJ Balsinde.

8:52 PM: Harman sets the middle of the Navs' lineup down in order, it just doesn't seem to be their night. Kowalski is out to pitch the bottom of the eighth, ending Lisowski's outing. Even though the result of his outing wasn't what he would have hoped, with the doubleheaders coming up his 7 innings of work will prove valuable.

8:41 PM: A soft liner from Ogrinc and a bunt single from Roof put runners on the corners with one out. Lisowski got Panzarella to fly to right, but it was deep enough for Ogrinc to beat Provencher's throw home. Vermont 5, Navs 0

8:31 PM: Zurcher ripped a ball down the left field line that fell about three feet foul with two on and two out, but a couple pitches later Harman got him to ground to short, ending the inning. Lisowski is back out for the seventh with no action in the pen, with three doubleheaders in a row coming up coach Falcon is looking to get as much out of his starter as he can.

8:20 PM: Costello leads off the seventh with a hard-hit single to right. That's going to be all for Smith, as Casey Harman is on in relief for Vermont. Harman started the all-star game for the North and has a 0.49 ERA in six starts, but is now working out of the pen.

8:15 PM: Lisowski bounces back to set down Vermont 1-2-3, with two groundouts to Belcher and a strikeout.

8:11 PM: The Navs go down in order again. There's some action in the Vermont bullpen, a new pitcher might be just what they need to get some offense going.

8:05 PM: A pair of great catches from McNaughton and Little got the first two outs of the inning, but with a runner on first, consecutive hits from Roof (single), Panzarella (RBI single) and Harris (2-run double) sent three Vermont runs home. Vermont 4, Navs 0

7:49 PM: Smith sets down the top of the Navigator order in the top of the fifth.

7:45 PM: Two, Navigator style! Lisowski hit Felix to open the inning, but got Mercer to pop to center for the first out. Then he picked a grounder off the bat of Sherry, turned and made a strong throw to Zurcher covering second, who in turn tossed it to Graham for the double play.

7:39 PM: Kuehl led off the inning with a walk, and Graham drew a walk of his own three batters later, putting runners on the corners with two away. Hill hit a sharp grounder off Smith's glove, but it bounced right to Roof, who made the play at first to end the Navigator threat.

7:26 PM: With runners on first and third (again), the Navs prevented any further damage. First, Lisowski struck out Harris looking, then Hill threw out Panzarella as he tried to steal second for the third out.

7:21 PM: With runners on first and third and one out, Lisowski had Roof picked off of first base. But as Roof ran toward second, Ogrinc broke for home. Zurcher's throw pulled Hill off the plate, allowing Ogrinc to score the game's first run. Vermont 1, Navs 0

7:11 PM: Hill led off the third with a line-drive single to center, and McNaughton moved him to second with a two-out single of his own. But Smith got Provencher to pop to first, keeping the Navs off the scoreboard.

7:02 PM: Mercer beat out a dribbler to third to open the bottom of the second, but Lisowski quickly picked him off and set down the next two Vermont hitters in order - Sherry on a soft liner to Graham and Paquette with a swinging strikeout. Still scoreless through 2.

6:55 PM: Graham chops one right back to Smith to end the inning.

6:53 PM: With Kuehl on second, Costello beats out an infield single to extend the inning. Two on, two out with Graham at the plate...

6:44 PM: Lisowski retired the first two Mountaineers he faced, but then gave up a double to Harris. No harm done, though, as he got Felix to pop out to Zurcher on the first pitch to retire the side.

6:38 PM: Little, Zurcher and McNaughton all down on strikes in the top of the first. Based on a couple of the pitches to McNaughton, the home plate umpire's going to have a pretty generous zone tonight.

6:32 PM: Vermont's taken the field, the national anthem's been sung and Justin Little is taking cuts in the on-deck circle. Play ball!

6:23 PM: The Sanford-Holyoke score has gone final, with the Mainers winning 10-4. So the Navs control their own destiny tonight - win and they're in!

6:19 PM: Lisowski and Smith are taking their warmup tosses with their respective catchers. Right now, Lisowski is working out of the stretch with Hill standing behind the bullpen plate.

6:08 PM: Both teams have taken infield and the grounds crew is finishing their last-minute preparations. The left field line is painted, with the right field line and the batter's boxes soon to follow.