Gulls Win Nail Biter, Sanford Gets Revenge in a Thrilling Four-Game Slate
Valley Blue Sox vs Martha’s Vineyard Sharks
Final Score: Sharks 12, Blue Sox 9
Holyoke, MA- The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks improved to 4-5 on the season after they topped the Valley Blue Sox 12-9 on Monday afternoon. This victory came off a 13-hit performance. The Sharks started the night off earlier with a William Lybrook (Harvard) RBI double in the top of the first
The Blue Sox answered the Sharks in the bottom of the second. Andrew Loikits (Wofford) grounded out, but allowed Mike Lucarelli (Penn State) to cross home plate. Later in the second, Sebastian Mexico (Louisiana Tech) smacked a ball to the outfield wall for a two-run double, giving the Blue Sox a 3-2 lead. The Sharks took the lead back almost immediately in the top of the third after Evan Applewick (Miami) launched a ball into the stands for a two-run home run, bringing the score to 4-3.
After a brief break from the two teams handing off the lead, the Sharks extended their lead in the fifth inning after Jackson Miller (Mississippi) scored following an error by the Blue Sox second baseman. The Sharks added to their lead in the top of the sixth. Applewick sacrificed himself to allow for Carter Bentley (Northeastern) to score. Later in the top half of the inning, William Lybrook hit a double to bring in one run, bringing the lead to 6-3.
The Blue Sox answered, tying the game in the bottom of the sixth. Michael O’Connor (Eastern Illinois) was able to score following an error by the pitcher, and Mike Lucarelli came home while the Sharks' defense was fielding a ground out. To cap off the inning, Chris Walsh (Monmouth) was able to score following a sacrifice fly to left field.
The Sharks entered a feeding frenzy in the top of the seventh inning, scoring five total runs. Blake Binderup (Texas A&M) started it off with a walking run, followed by a Jamal George (Texas A&M) RBI single. Carter Bentley scored on another walk, and Ryder Dystrka (Southern California) scored following an Applewick sacrifice fly. Jamal George capped off the frenzy by scoring on a pass ball.
Valley was able to answer one of the runs after Clay Burdette (Xavier) smacked a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh. The Blue Sox added two more runs, clawing into the Sharks' lead, after Andrwe Loikits lined a ball into the outfield, scoring two runs in the bottom of the eighth. However, it wasn’t enough as the Sharks were able to keep the Blue Sox at bay to secure the victory
Martha’s Vineyard’s ace Jonathan Peterson (Sacred Heart) was credited with the win, and his fellow Shark Ryan Ashford (Miami) was issued the save on the afternoon. The Blue Sox pitcher Jack Geiser (Ohio) was issued the Loss
The Valley Blue Sox are back in action Tuesday night as they travel to Danbury to face the Westerners. The Sharks sail back home after a short break to face the Ocean State Waves on Wednesday night.
North Shore Navigators vs. North Adams Steeplecats
Final Score: North Shore 5, North Adams 3
North Adams, MA- The Steeplecats hosted the Navigators for some Berkshires baseball action last night. Cuyler Baxter kicked things off (Wake Forest) with an RBI single in the bottom of the third to put the Steeplecats on the board first, 1-0. The next inning, Corey Robinson (College of Central Florida) hit a sac fly to add on to North Adams’ lead, 2-0.
North Shore would strike in the top of the sixth inning when Brooks Wright (Louisiana Lafayette) hit an RBI double to put the Navigators in the run column. Jesse Jaconski (Penn State) hit a two-RBI double to get a rally going, giving North Shore the lead, 3-2. Alex Marot (West Virginia) joined the party with an RBI double of his own, to add an insurance run for the Navigators, making the score 4-2.
In the top of the seventh, Brooks Wright (Louisiana Lafayette) would keep his performance going with an RBI single, adding another run onto the lead and his stat sheet. Cuyler Baxter (Wake Forest) would strike again in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single to cut into North Shore’s lead, making the score 5-3.
North Shore pitching dominated, with the staff combining for thirteen strikeouts. Ryan Griffin (Northeastern) counted for four of those.
The Steeplecats head to Hartford, VT to take on Upper Valley tomorrow at 6:00pm, while the Navigators host the Gulls at 6:05pm.
You can view the box score here
Upper Valley Nighthawks vs. Sanford Mainers
Final Score: Sanford 3, Upper Valley 0
Sanford, ME- In a rematch just one night after an 11-1 Upper Valley blowout, Sanford hands it right back with a 3-0 shutout victory.
Pitching was the story in this one, as Sanford didn’t get on the board until the bottom of the 8th. Both starters were phenomenal, as Upper Valley’s Ryan Sheehy (Hartford) went for five innings, striking out seven, and only surrendered four hits. Meanwhile, Sanford’s Charlie Hale (Endicott) threw three shutout innings, striking out three while only giving up two hits. Relievers Drew Smith (UConn) and Tyler Longoria (St. John’s) were also stellar on the mound for the Mainers, as Smith only gave up one hit in three innings of work and Longoria allowed two hits in two innings while striking out two. Conner Griffin (Binghamton) picked up the save in the 9th, striking out the side.
Runs didn’t come easily for Sanford, but when they did, it was in the clutch. After a walk, wild pitch, and hit by pitch, a Jack Toomey (Boston College) RBI gave Sanford a 1-0 lead, and a Kellen Strohmeyer (Iowa) two-RBI single added insurance to bring the lead to three.
Despite the loss, both Anthony Brotz (Marist) and Nicholas Mazzotta (Wagner) had solid games for Upper Valley. Brotz finished with three hits, including a double, while Mazzotta had two hits himself.
With Sanford’s win tonight, they even the season series at 2 games apiece. Their next meeting is July 15 in Hartford, VT. In the meantime, Sanford is back at it Wednesday night at 6:30 at home against the Vermont Mountaineers, looking to build on their 2-6 record. Upper Valley hosts the North Adams SteepleCats tomorrow at 6:00, hoping to bounce back after they dropped to 5-4 on the season.
Newport Gulls vs Bristol Blues
Final Score/11: Gulls 5, Blues 4
Newport, RI – The Newport Gulls capped off their 11 inning thriller with a win on Monday night, defeating the Bristol Blues 5-4. A late Bristol rally tied the game to send it to extra innings, but Newport tacked on two runs in the bottom of the eleventh to finish things off on a walk-off walk. With the win, Newport improves to 6-5 while Bristol drops to 7-4.
Pitcher Caden Connolly (Michigan) of the Gulls and Carson Renner (Penn St) of the Blues provided for excellent pitching performances to watch. Both Connolly and Renner went five innings a piece, each allowing only one run, and the two combined for 15 strikeouts.
Bristol got on the board first when first baseman Jack Hopko (Rhode Island) grounded out, scoring Luke Nomura (Fairfield) from third and gave Bristol a 1-0 lead. Newport tied the game up just an inning later off the bat of Petey Craska (North Alabama) who singled and drove in Cade Brown (Georgia) from third.
The scoring would halt till the seventh when Newport regained the lead. With runners on the corners and one out Adrian Areizaga (Miami) put the ball in play, resultying in a fielder’s choice, but it scored Andreaus Lewis (Manhattan College) from third and gave Newport a 2-1 lead. The Blues wouldn’t go down without a fight though, managing to tie the game up from a Joey DeMucci (Penn St) sac-fly to left field which sent this game to extras.
In the top of the 10th, Bristol managed a run off of a Thomas Ahlers (Keene St) sac fly. The Gulls would answer right back in the bottom half of the inning after Craska notched his own sac fly to tie the game right back up. In the 11th, Bristol scored again with Damucci hitting an RBI double to put them back on top 4-3.
In the bottom of the inning, Michael Gupton (Samford) singled to score the tying run in Josh Castellani (Clemson) from third. Then, with runners on first and second, Seth Dardar (Kansas St) was hit by a pitch to load up the bases for Kyle Branch (Oklahoma) whose patient eye paid off. Branch walked, bringing in the winning run and getting the Gulls back above .500.
Connolly took home the win for Newport while Thomas Galusha (UConn) was credited with the loss for Bristol. The Blues will look to bounce back Wednesday when they host the Danbury Westerners. The Gulls want to ride their momentum into their next matchup on Tuesday night, away against the North Shore Navigators.
