Courtesy Vermont Lake Monsters

BURLINGTON — The Lake Monsters rallied from a two-run deficit with three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, capped by a Kevin Richards two-out RBI walkoff double as Vermont earned a split of a New York-Penn League doubleheader with a 3-2 victory after the Lowell Spinners had taken the opener 6-2 in extras Thursday night at historic Centennial Field.

Game two of the scheduled seven-inning contest was scoreless until the eighth when with a placed runner on second base, Jose King opened the inning with a bunt single on a 2-2 pitch and Gresuan Silverio followed with a two-run double to rightcenter.

Vermont quickly got a run back in the bottom of the eighth when Lawrence Butler led off with an RBI double to right scoring placed runner Noah Vaughan. Butler then advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball to tie the game.

With one-out and no one on, Logan Davidson laid down a bunt single and then advanced to third on a Marty Bechina single before Jordan Diaz struckout for the second out of the eighth. Richards followed with a high flyball to leftcenter that kept carrying before hitting off the wall out of the reach of leftfielder Kona Quiggle for Vermont’s first walkoff win of season.

Lake Monsters game two starter Osvaldo Berrios gave up just one hit, a Nick Quintana double in the fourth, with two walks and four strikeouts. Jeferson Mejia (1-2) two runs (one earned) on two hits with one walk and six strikeouts over final three innings for the win.

In the twinbill opener, Connecticut took a 1-0 lead in the third when Andrew Navigato (3-for-4) led off the inning with a triple and scored on a two-out Ryan Kriedler RBI double. Vermont tied the game in the bottom of the third on a Dustin Harris two-out RBI double scoring Jorge Gordon, who had led off inning with a walk.

The scheduled seven-inning contest stayed tied 1-1 until the eighth inning when the Tigers scored five times, including a Jake Holton RBI single for a 2-1 lead and a Navigato two-run single for a 5-1 advantage. Eliezer Alfonso added a two-out RBI single to cap off the five-run frame, while Harris had an RBI single for Vermont in the bottom of the eighth.

Vermont game one starter Tyler Baum allowed one run on two hits with a walk and four strikeouts over first three innings, while Yorlenis Noa tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Jorge Martinez was charged with all five runs (four earned) in eighth for loss.

Vermont (32-40) will wrap up its 2019 home schedule 7:05 pm Friday when they host Connecticut before the Lake Monsters head to Tri-City for the final three games of the season.