Courtesy Vermont Lake Monsters

BURLINGTON — Yerdel Vargas was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI doubles, while Hogan Harris allowed one run over five innings of relief to lead the Vermont Lake Monsters to a 5-2 victory over the Staten Island Yankees in New York-Penn League action Friday night at historic Centennial Field.

Vermont took a 2-1 lead in bottom of second on an RBI double to right from Vargas, who scored the go ahead run when Jose Rivas followed with an RBI groundball single to left. The Lake Monsters built lead to 5-1 with three runs in the fourth, the first two coming on a Vargas two-run double to left scoring Danny Bautista and Lawrence Butler.

Vargas had entered the night 1-for-27 vs. right-handed pitching this season, but with the two doubles and three RBI in his three at bats against Staten Island righty pitchers. Jordan Diaz went 2-for-4 with his two hits tying him with teammate Kevin Richards for the league lead with 18.

Harris, 2018 third-round pick for the A’s, came on in relief of starter Colin Peluse to start the third inning and allowed just the one run (an Alex Junior leadoff homer in the fourth) on two hits with one walk and six strikeouts (including striking out side in fourth after giving up the homer).

Peluse, a 2019 ninth-round out of Wake Forest, allowed a run on three hits in the first inning, including a Juan De Leon RBI single. Peluse retired the side in order with a strikeout in the second, his final inning of work. Josh Reagan went the final two innings with one hit and five strikeouts to earn his first save.

The Lake Monsters have now won three straight and four of their last five to improve to 8-6 on the season. Vermont hosts Staten Island (7-6) again on Saturday at 6:05 pm in the second of the three-game series. The first 500 fans thru the gates at 5:00 will receive a free Maple Kings Jersey.