Two Extra Inning Thrillers and Multiple Walk Off Winners Make For an Exciting Saturday Night

Valley Blue Sox vs. Newport Gulls

Final Score: Gulls 10, Blue Sox 0

Holyoke, MA - The Newport Gulls deliver a dominant 10-0 victory over the Valley Blue Sox on Saturday evening. The Gulls pitching staff had a combined no-hitter going into the eighth inning 

Newport came out firing offensively in the top of the first. The first pair of runs came via bases loaded walks, before a two-run single doubled the lead. An RBI single from Adam Broski (Michigan St.) put the finishing touches on a five-run first. The Gulls added another one with a fielder's choice in the second inning from Cole Johnson (Austin Peay). 

In the fifth, an error from Blue Sox catcher Joshua Toole (Coastal Carolina) on a double steal brought in a run. Cade Brown (Georgia Tech) notched an RBI single to make it 8-0. An RBI double from Ryan Novak (Miami) and an RBI single from Ryan Jaros (Rutgers) gave Newport a double-digit lead. 

From there, it was elementary. Jake Lenahan (Holy Cross) got the win pitching six shutout innings. Kaden Kimble (Mt. Saint Mary's) took the loss, allowing six runs in two innings. 

The Gulls look forward to a home matchup against the North Adams Steeplecats on Monday. Valley has to travel to Maine to go up against the Sanford Mainers on Sunday night. 

Box Score

Sanford Mainers vs. Vermont Mountaineers

Final Score: Mainers 4, Mountaineers 3

Sanford, ME - The Sanford Mainers won in walk-off fashion 4-3 against the Vermont Mountaineers on Saturday night. Despite leaving eight runners on base throughout the game, Sanford came through when it mattered most. 

Last week's player of the week Troy Carpenter (UMaine) started the offense with a bang, blasting the 1-2 offering from Luke Deschenes (Seton Hall) over the left field fence for a two-run home run. Alex Benevento (Brown) cut the deficit in half with an RBI single in the fourth inning. Matthew Jackson (Stony Brook) felt the need to get in on the action, launching a two-run bomb of his own to take a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning. 

Nick Zampieron (Stony Brook) drew a walk with two outs in the ninth inning. Jacob Harring (Salve Regina) grounded a ball to third base. A throwing error would score Zampieron. Yet another throwing error from Vermont as Harring went for third base gave Harring home, and the Mainers the win in improbable fashion. 

Andrew Kapica (Fordham) got the win, pitching three shutout innings. Davis Budd (Western Carolina) got the loss, allowing two unearned runs in his 1.2 innings pitched. 

The Mainers will stay in Maine, as the Valley Blue Sox visit them on Sunday. Vermont will have themselves a double-header of sorts. They will resume a game against the Danbury Westerners on Sunday, initially called off due to weather, before starting a new game with Danbury later in the day. 

Box Score

Ocean State Waves vs Upper Valley Nighthawks

Final Score: Nighthawks 5, Waves 4

White River Junction, VT- Despite getting to a quick lead in the first inning, the Waves fell 5-4 against the Nighthawks on Saturday. 

The Waves got started quickly, scoring three runs in the first inning on a walk, an RBI single by Gabriel Milano (UMiami), and an error. The Nighthawks answered shortly after on an RBI by Anthony Greco (Williams & Mary), an RBI single by Tim Dickinson (St. Joseph's), and a sacrifice fly by Alejandro Puig (Dartmouth). The game was at a three to three stalemate until the top of the seventh when Gabriel Milano (UMiami) singled to right scoring Brodey Bitove (Indiana). The Nighthawks took an indefinite lead in the bottom of the inning, on a wild pitch and an RBI single by William Hurt (Virginia Tech). Nick Quagliato (Portal) also had a strong day at the plate for the Nighthawks, going two for three with a walk and scoring two of the Nighthawks runs. 

Brendan Walker (Stetson) earned his first win of the season for the Nighthawks, going 2.1 innings allowing no hits and no runs with three strikeouts. Grant Wren (Arkansas) was strong out of the bullpen for the Waves going 1.2 innings allowing no hits and not runs with three strikeouts.

The Waves head home for Old Mountain Field tomorrow to host the North Shore Navigators and the Nighthawks head to North Adams to take on the Steeple Cats. 

Box Score 

Danbury Westerners vs Bristol Blues

Final Score: Westerners 4, Blues 3

Danbury, CT- The Danbury Westerners edged the Bristol Blues, 4-3, in a tightly contested NECBL matchup on Saturday night, using an early offensive burst in a late insurance run to hold off a Bristol comeback. Danbury improved to 4-8 on the season.  

The Westerners wasted little time getting on the board, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Kyle Garbowski (Quinnipiac) led the offense with a 3-for-5 night and drove in a run, while Collin Mowry (U of Louisville) provided the biggest swing of the game, launching a two-run home run. Ronan Donohue (Sacred Heart) added two hits, and Adiden Stern (Trinity College) crossed the plate after reaching base to help fuel the early rally. 

The Blues scored once in the fourth inning and added two more in the sixth. Nicholas Francuzenko (Townson U) paced Bristol's lineup with a 3-for-5 performance, while Scott Gell (Stony Brook) collected two hits. Cal Chance (UMass Lowell) and Colin Crowley (Winthrop) each drove in a run, and Christopher DiPrima (Yale) scored twice to keep the Blues within striking distance. 

On the mound, Danbury starter Hayden Tarsia (Binghamton) was outstanding, allowing just one run on four hits over 4.2 innings while striking out seven. Alex Payne (Lafayette College) followed with a 2.1 scoreless innings of relief, and Simon Yochum (Davidson College) earned the victory after recording the final four outs. Bristol starter Liam Diehl (Townson U) took the loss despite striking out five over five innings. 

The Westerners added a crucial insurance run in the ninth inning before Bristol answered with a run of its own in the top of the tenth. Garbowski, Mowry, and Donohue led the way offensively for the Westerns, while Francuzenko and Gell highlighted Bristol's effort in a hard-fought contest that came down to the final out. 

The Danbury Westerners will travel to face the Vermont Mountaineers Sunday night. The Bristol Blues will board the ship to compete against the Martha Vineyard Sharks Sunday night. 

Box Score

Keene Swamp Bats vs North Adams SteepleCats

Final Score: Bats 8, SteepleCats 4

North Adams, MA- The Keene Swamp Bats continued their strong start of the season Saturday night, defeating the North Adams SteepleCats, 8-4. Keene collected 13 hits and scored in six different innings, pulling away late to improve to 8-4-1 on the season. 

Keene struck first in the opening frame when Jackson Marshall (UConn) doubled home Jackson Smith (URI) for the game's first run. The Bats added two more runs in the third and another pair in the fifth with Nico Senese (Seton Hall U) leading the charge. Senese finished 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs, and a sacrifice bunt, while Eli Stephens (UMaine) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Micah Kendrick (U of Dayton) added two hits and two runs scored, helping Keene build a comfortable lead throughout the evening. 

North Adams kept things competitive with 10 hits of its own. Matthew Colella (URI) collected two hits, scored a run, and drove another, while Parker Camelo (UMass Lowell) went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Sebastian Rhoades (SNHU) chipped two hits and an RBI, and Nelphie Lopez (Wagner College) crossed the plated single run in the second, fourth, and eighth innings and added another in the ninth. 

On the mound, Brody Krzysisak (U of Dayton) earned the win for Keene after allowing three runs across five innings while striking out four. Reliever Brayden Gilson (URI) was dominant in relief, tossing three scoreless innings with four strikeouts to half any North Adams momentum. 

North Adams SteepleCats will return to home Sunday late afternoon to compete against the Upper Valley Nighthawks. The Keene Swamp Bats will enjoy the day off to travel come Monday night to play against the North Shore Navigators. 

Box Score 

Mystic Schooners vs Martha's Vineyard Sharks

Final Score: Schooners 8, Sharks 7

Martha's Vineyard, MA- It was a back and forth the whole game until the Schooners took the lead in extra innings, taking down the South Division leaders. 

After the Schooners got to a quick start scoring in the top of the first, the Sharks were just as quick to respond and take a 3-1 lead. They scored two in the bottom of the first on a double by Carter Bentley (Northeastern) and again in the bottom of the second on a single by Jailen Watkins (Miami). 

With each scoring thereafter, the Sharks continued to answer back immediately. The Schooners took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fourth, scoring on a single by Justin Best (Manhattan), a hit by pitch and a walk. The Sharks tied it at 4-4 in the bottom of the inning. The same happened in the sixth when Casey Wensley (Bryant) hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the inning for the Schooners, followed by an RBI single by Nick Barron (Northwestern) in the bottom of the inning for the Sharks. 

Two solo home runs came in the top of the seventh for the Schooners by Thomas O'Connell (Virginia) and Anthony Belisario (Portal). But the momentum was short lived, when Will Hampton (Vanderbilt) had an RBI single in the bottom of the inning. The Schooners got the final say however, when Jack Harley (Stetson) hit an RBI single in the top of the tenth inning. 

MJ Bollinger (Texas A&M) earned his first win of the season, with an electric three innings out of the bullpen allowing no hits, no runs, and no walks with four strike outs. Connor Lane (UConn) earned his third save of the year going one inning, also allowing no hits, no runs, and no walks. 

The Sharks will host the Bristol Blues tomorrow, as the Schooners have the day off as they prepare to head to MacKenzie Stadium on Monday to play the Valley Blue Sox.

Box Score

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