Sharks Stay Hot, Navigators Sweep Twin Bill Across Sunday Slate
North Adams, MA – Sunday across the NECBL featured a doubleheader sweep, dominant pitching, and another strong showing from the South Division leaders. North Shore swept North Adams in a twin bill, Martha's Vineyard won its fourth straight game, and Vermont cruised to a shutout victory over Upper Valley. Elsewhere, Danbury capitalized on Ocean State's defensive miscues to earn a road win, while Bristol and Keene saw their matchup suspended by rain.
North Adams Steeplecats vs. North Shore Navigators (Game One)
Final Score: Navigators 4, Steeplecats 2
North Adams, MA - The North Shore Navigators walked into the home of the North Adams Steeplecats and swept the double header with scores of 4-2 and 6-2 respectively.
Entering the fifth inning, both teams had a combined four hits to show for their efforts. However, North Shore overcame the lack of hits with some plate discipline and savvy baserunning in the fifth. A pair of walks and a double steal put a couple runners in scoring position. A wild pitch scored Simmi Whitehill (Monmouth) from third to plate the first run of the game. A sacrifice fly ball from last week's Player of the Week Hudson Ellis (Oral Roberts) notched a second run.
In the bottom half of the fifth, a leadoff single from Tony Woodie (SUNY Cobleskill), combined with an error from left fielder Danny Flynn (Northeastern) put a runner on third with no outs. Parker Carmelo (Portal) came up and drove him in with an RBI single. Alex Barrist (Lafayette) came up a few batters later with an RBI single of his own to tie the game at 2-2.
Despite double-headers being seven innings each, we got an eighth inning after neither team came through in the last two innings. A sac bunt and sac fly one after another scored Ellis to give the Navs a 3-2 lead. An Anderson French (Dallas Baptist) RBI single brought their lead up to 4-2 in the eighth. Thomas Mahoney (Northeastern) sat the Steeplecats down 1-2-3 to end the game.
Josh Doney (UMass Lowell) got the win, pitching 2.1 shutout innings out of the bullpen. Joe LaPrade (St. Lawrence) took the loss, allowing both of North Shore's ninth inning runs. Mahoney got his second save of the season.
North Adams Steeplecats vs. North Shore Navigators (Game Two)
Final Score: Navigators 6, Steeplecats 2
North Adams, MA - Despite only notching one hit through three innings, North Shore popped off in the fourth inning. French lined an RBI single to right field to start. With the bases loaded, Grant Hunter lined a two-run single to center field. A bases loaded walk from Jack Rickheim (Harvard) brought in the fourth and final run of the inning.
North Adams got on the board thanks to a pair of errors from the Navigators. Firstly, an error by Danati Fronduto (San Jacinto College) started the inning. However, with the bases loaded, a more costly throwing error by Fronduto plated a pair of runs, cutting the lead in half.
Tyler Shulman (Harvard) got one of those runs back with an RBI single in the top of the fifth. Additionally, during a first and third situation, Colsen Loughren (Mass. Maritime) airmailed a throw down to second base on a stolen base attempt, allowing another run to score.
Jack Korthas pitched 2.1 innings out of the bullpen to secure the win for himself. Garret Gates allowed four runs in his 3.2 innings, giving him the loss.
Ocean State Waves vs Danbury Westerners
Final Score: 8 Westerners, Waves 6
South Kingstown, RI – The Danbury Westerners defeated the Ocean State Waves, 8-6, on Sunday night to improve to 8-10. Danbury scored eight runs on eight hits, overcoming an early deficit and taking advantage of seven Ocean State errors to secure the win.
Ocean State jumped ahead in the first inning when Max Farrell (San Diego State) launched a two-run homer to left-center, scoring Blaize Ward (U of Missouri) for a 2-0 lead.
Danbury answered in the second with an RBI sacrifice fly from Gavin Donohue (Sacred Heart U) before Bennett Crerar (Princeton U) delivered a two-run hit to put the Westerners in front.
Danbury broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning and never relinquished the lead. Crerar led the Westerners' offense, finishing with a home run and two RBI. Ronan Donohue (Sacred Heart U) scored twice, Ryan Martin (Dallas Baptist) doubled, and Aidan Stern (Trinity Col) reached base twice and stole two bases.
Farrell paced Ocean State with three RBI and two runs scored, while Thomas Meluskey (New Mexico St U) added a two-run homer.
Tyler Stone (Portal) earned the win with three innings of relief, allowing two runs, and Garrett Snyder (Portal) recorded two scoreless innings for his first save. Dylan Causey (Southern Miss) took the loss after allowing seven runs over 4.1 innings.
Ocean State Waves will travel Monday night to compete against the Martha Vineyard Sharks. Danbury Westerners will break until Tuesday night hosting the Martha Vineyard Sharks.
Vermont Mountaineers vs Upper Valley Nighthawks
Final Score: Mountaineers 9, Nighthawks 0
Hartford, VT- The perfect combo of lights out pitching and explosive offense help propel the Mountaineers to a win Sunday night.
The Mountaineers dominated at the plate. Alex Benevento (Brown) had a perfect game at the plate, going four for four with a walk and two RBIs. JJ Parsons (North Carolina Greensboro) and Matthew Minckler (Delaware) also helped lead the way at the plate. Parsons went two for three with a walk and two RBIs and Minckler went three for six with an RBI.
The Mountaineers' pitching staff only allowed four hits all day. Luke Deschenes (Seton Hall) started the game going three innings, allowing only two hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Nolan Urian (Rhode Island) followed with one inning of relief allowing one hit. Rex Hauser (UMaine) finished off the game going five innings, allowing only one hit with four strikeouts.
Eric Santaella (Pace) threw two scoreless innings of relief, but unfortunately for the Nighthawks the Mountaineers got the better of them today.
The Nighthawks look to bounce back tomorrow as they head to MacKenzie Stadium to take on the Valley Blue Sox, while the Mountaineers look to keep the momentum going as they head home to host the Mystic Schooners
Bristol Blues vs Keene SwampBats – Postponed for rain
Score: Blues 3, Keene 0
Bristol, CT – A second-inning rally propelled the Bristol Blues ahead of the Keene SwampBats to reach a 3-0 lead before the game was postponed after the top of the fourth inning due to rain.
The Bristol offense came alive in the bottom half of the second inning, as Justin Ruiz (High Point) scored on a Sean Britt (St. Johns) RBI single. Jack Balcer (Quinnipiac) immediately followed with an RBI double to extend the lead. Trent Rice (Michigan State) then reached on a throwing error by the pitcher, allowing Balcer to score an unearned run and capping a three-run outburst.
The SwampBats threatened in the third, but left two runners stranded.
The game was postponed due to weather after the top of the fourth inning, with plans to resume at a later date to be announced.
The SwampBats will get back in action tomorrow night as they host the North Adams Steeplecats, while the Blues have a day off before facing the Sanford Mainers in a double header on Tuesday.
Marthas Vineyard Sharks vs Valley Blue Sox
Final Score: Marthas Vineyard Sharks 11, Valley Blue Sox 6
Oak Bluffs, MA – The Martha's Vineyard Sharks extended their winning streak to four games while handing the Valley Blue Sox their fourth straight loss with an 11-6 victory at The Shark Tank on Sunday night.
Lucas Alberti (George Mason) put Valley ahead with a solo home run in the first inning, but Wesley Scott (Louisiana Tech) answered with the same in the bottom half.
The Sharks broke the game open in the second inning when Jackson Roper (Wake Forest) hit an RBI single and Ryan Thompson (URI) added an RBI double.
Valley trimmed the deficit in the third on a two-run double by Alberti. However, the Sharks responded with a four-run explosion in the fourth, using a bases-loaded walk from Nick Rubino (Wake Forest) and an RBI single from Austin Pierzynski (Alabama Birmingham (U of)) to build a 9-3 cushion.
Valley mounted a late rally with runs in the seventh and eighth, including hits from Anthony Tirado (UMass Amherst) and Chris Cancel (UConn) alongside a bases-loaded walk by Alberti.
Michael Devenney (Tulane) earned the win with three hitless relief innings, while Valley starter Riley Williams (Mount Saint Mary's) took the loss, giving up 5 runs over 2 innings pitched.
The Sharks look to stay hot as they host the Ocean State Waves tomorrow night who are on a 5 game losing streak, while the Blue Sox face the Upper Valley Nighthawks at home.
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