Vermont's Squier keeps scorching pace

After stringing together three consecutive three-hit games for Class A Short Season Vermont this week, Payton Squier prevented an 0-for-4 on Thursday night from landing him into a pattern.
The A's outfield prospect collected five hits, including a pair of doubles, and drove in three runs to fuel the Lake Monsters' 15-3 drubbing of Hudson Valley on Friday at Centennial Field. Squier is 14-for-22 (.636) with six runs scored in his last five games.

"I'm just trying to see good pitches to hit and I'm just trying to hit them hard," the 22-year-old said. "That's pretty much all you can do is get barrel on it and after that you can't control anything. Just staying within myself and putting balls in play."
The 15-run outburst was the team's highest total in a home game since scoring 17 against Pittsfield on July 21, 2001 when it was called the Expos. The last time a Vermont player collected five hits at Centennial Park was Aug. 1, 1998, when Scott Hodges went 5-for-7 with a 13th-inning walk-off single, also against Pittsfield.
Gameday box score
Squier raised his batting average 22 points to .318 while increasing his RBI total to 25. The five hits eclipsed his previous best of four, a mark he set on June 18 against Connecticut in his only other game with multiple extra-base hits this season.
He compiled a .262/.279/.311 slash line in 33 games for the Lake Monsters last summer, which he said caused him to enter his second New York-Penn League stint with a chip on his shoulder.
"It's always tough repeating a level, especially your second year in the organization," the Glendale, Arizona, native said. "I just try to keep my head clear and play my game and let it all play out."
Although Squier has nine games with at least three hits this season, he's been prone to some streakiness. The UNLV product broke a seven-game hitless drought with a 6-for-14 (.429) weekend from July 13-15. He followed that by going 1-for-23 in the next seven contests.
"I just think it's the game of baseball -- sometimes you get some tough luck," he said. "Middle of the year, I had some tough luck, hit balls hard that were just getting caught and it gets to your head, but you just got to stay calm. Every day is a new day. I knew eventually something would happen for me and it's starting."

Squier lined a single through the middle against starter Miller Hogan (2-1) with one out in the first inning. He laid down a bunt single against the right-hander that scored Joseph Pena in the third and plated another run with a double to center in the fourth. 
The 2017 16th-round pick slapped another hit to right in the sixth, tacked on a run-scoring double to center in the eighth and had a chance to do further damage later in the inning with the bases loaded. After fouling off four consecutive pitches from first baseman Allen Smoot, Squier sent a well-struck liner toward the corner, but he found some more tough luck as it was tracked down on the run by left fielder Bryce Brown.
"I was just trying to do the same thing I was doing all night, just put the barrel on the ball and get a good pitch to hit," Squier said. "Ball stayed up a little too long and got caught."
Aaron Arruda contributed three hits, including his first homer of the season, two RBIs and three runs scored for the Lake Monsters, who also got three hits from Nick Osborne.