Late Comebacks Steal the Show in Sunday NECBL Action
North Adams, MA – Sunday's NECBL slate featured a pair of comeback victories. North Shore erased a two-run deficit with a four-run eighth inning to defeat Ocean State, while Bristol rallied from three runs down before walking off Danbury in 10 innings.
North Shore Navigators vs Ocean State Waves
Final Score: Navigators 6, Waves 4
Lynn, MA – The North Shore Navigators erased an early deficit to defeat the Ocean State Waves 6-4 on Sunday afternoon.
The Waves jumped ahead in the third inning when Adonis Medina (URI) doubled and scored on an RBI single by Kalen Applefield (Long Beach State).
Ocean State extended the advantage to 3-1 in the sixth behind an RBI double from Justin Hackett (Bryant) and an RBI groundout by William Mahala (Virginia).
North Shore responded in the bottom of the seventh. Hudson Ellis (Oral Roberts) stole second and then stole home to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Navigators then took control with a four-run eighth inning. Ellis tied the game with an RBI single, and Tyler Shulman (Harvard) delivered a go-ahead RBI single before the team added insurance runs from wild pitches.
Gray Eubanks (USM) launched a solo home run for the Waves in the ninth, but the rally fell short.
Koby Seelig (Columbia) earned the victory in relief with two innings of one-hit ball, while Thomas Mahoney (Northeastern) secured the save. Hudson Barton (Vanderbilt) took the loss for Ocean State.
The Navs look to start a win streak in their game against the Mystic Schooners tomorrow night, while the Waves take a day off before hosting the Valley Blue Sox on Tuesday.
Bristol Blues vs Danbury Westerners
Final Score: Blues 8, Westerners 7
Bristol, CT – A walk-off sac fly in extra innings capped a thrilling comeback victory for the Blues on Sunday evening.
The Westerners struck first with a four-run explosion in the opening frame, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Michael Delph (Samford).
The Bristol Blues immediately answered with three unearned runs in the bottom half.
Danbury extended its lead in the second inning and added another run in the eighth when Ronan Donohue (Sacred Heart) hit an RBI single to score Noel Rivera (Jacksonville State).
Down three runs in the bottom of the eighth, Bristol mounted a dramatic rally. Colin Crowley (Winthrop) ripped a clutch two-RBI single to center field, and Antonio Ducatelli (Fairfield) followed with an RBI single to tie the game at 7.
After scoreless frames, the game headed to the tenth inning. With JJ Romatzick (Hartford) pinch running as the extra-innings runner, Evan Menzel (UConn) lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score the game-winning run and secure the victory.
Thomas Galusha (Bryant) earned the victory on the mound after throwing two hitless frames out of the bullpen, while Delph was charged with the loss.
The Blues hope to stay hot as they take a trip to face the Upper Valley Nighthawks tomorrow night, while the Westerners try to snap their four-game losing streak at Cardines Field against the Newport Gulls.
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The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a wooden bat collegiate summer league featuring teams across all six New England states. Since its founding in 1994, the NECBL has produced more than 230 Major League Baseball alumni, including nearly 30 first-round MLB Draft selections. For continuing coverage of the NECBL, visit NECBL.com and follow the league on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
