Mystic Wins in Extras, Upper Valley Barely Holds for the Win Thursday Night
North Adams, MA- Thursday across the NECBL featured an extra innings win for the Schooners, as Danbury and Upper Valley were both able to stop late game comebacks and hold on for the win. The Blue Sox pull away with a win in a close game against the SteepleCats.
North Adams Steeplecats vs. Valley Blue Sox
Final Score: Blue Sox 4, Steeplecats 2
Holyoke, MA - The Valley Blue Sox narrowly escape with a 4-2 win over the North Adams Steeplecats on Thursday night. Outside of multi-hit performances from Nelphie Lopez (Portal) and Chris Diaz (Marist), the Valley Blue Sox held the Steeplecats offense at bay.
Nico Soul (Appalachian St.) knocked in the first run of the game in the fourth for Valley with an RBI single. Nick Spaventa (UPenn) added a two-run single in the next inning to make it 3-0 Blue Sox. The Cats got a couple back in the form of a two-run double from Lopez.
A wild pitch in the ninth brought in another run for Valley. However, Jack Ensell (Barry) didn't need it, as he secured his league-tying fourth save of the year. Maddex LaBuda (Quinnipiac) took the win, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings out of the pen for Valley. Kellen Moore (Lafayette) got the loss, allowing two runs in two innings of work for North Adams.
The Blue Sox head back home to Mackenzie Stadium for a Friday night matchup against the Bristol Blues. North Adams gets Friday night off, before a Saturday night matchup against the Danbury Westerners.
Upper Valley Nighthawks vs Keene SwampBats
Final Score: Nighthawks 12, SwampBats 11
Keene, NH- Keene used every last one of their outs in Thursday's game against the Nighthawks as they were unable to come away with a win despite a nine run ninth inning.
The Nighthawks have now had nine or more hits in four straight games. They continued their offensive dominance today, scoring twelve runs off of ten hits.
Pitching hurt the SwampBats early on with five walks in the first 4.2 innings that cost them a run in the top of the second and two more in the top of the fifth. James Love (Eastern Illinois) led the Nighthawks at the plate today, going three for four with a walk and two RBIs coming in the eighth inning. Tim Dickinson (St. Joseph's) also had a great day at the plate going two for four with four RBI of his own on a single to left in the top of the fifth. Nick Quagliato (Boston College) had a huge three run home run in the top of the eighth to give the Nighthawks a ten run lead over the SwampBats going into the ninth inning.
But the SwampBats weren't done yet. They put up nine runs in the bottom of the ninth with the help of three home runs. Chris Polemeni (UConn) had two separate solo home runs in the ninth inning alone. Nico Senese (Georgia Southern) then had an RBI single followed by two walks that brought in runs from Tanner Beliveau (Mississippi State) and Avery Smith (Penn State). Gavin Speirs (Charleston Southern) had a mammoth grand slam to straight away center to make it a two run ball game before Polemeni had his second solo home run to bring the game within one run.
Despite the magnificent come back, the SwampBats fell just short of the come from behind win.
The Nighthawks look to keep their streak going as they head home to host the Vermont Mountaineers tomorrow at Maxfield Sports Complex, while the SwampBats hit the road as they head to Fraser Field to take on the North Shore Navigators.
Danbury Westerners vs North Shore Navigators
Final Score: Westerners 11, Navigators 9
Danbury, CT- The Danbury Westerners outlasted the North Shore Navigators 11-9 on Thursday, improving to 9-14 while dropping the Navigators to 14-14. Kyle Garbowski (Quinnipiac) led the Westerners' offense, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs, while Ryan Martin (Dallas Baptist) added a two-run day with three RBIs of his own. Gavin Donohue (Sacred Heart U) chipped in with a hit and an RBI, and Ronan Donohue (Sacred Heart U) delivered a home run and an RBI. Jack Lutte (Denison U) went 3-for-3 with two runs scored, and Noel Rivera (Marist Col) reached base three times with an RBI.
On the mound, Chase DePalma (Virginia Wesleyan) picked up the win, going five innings and allowing just one earned run on three hits while striking out five. Garrett Snyder (Notre Dame) closed things out for his second save of the season, working 1.1 scoreless innings.
For North Shore, Hudson Ellis (Oral Roberts) set the tone atop the order with two hits and two runs scored, and Lane Allen (High Point U) provided the offensive spark with a home run and three RBIs. Tyler Shulman (Harvard) also drove in a run and scored, while Danati Fronduto (San Jacinto Col North) and Jack Rickheim (Harvard) each contributed to the Navigators' seven-hit, nine-run effort.
Giancarlo Arencibia (U of New Orleans) took the loss for North Shore, allowing two runs in just 1.1 innings, and the Navigators' bullpen — Josh Doney (UMass Lowell), Jack Sarno (undecided), and John Milewski (Brandeis U) — combined to keep it close, but Danbury's offense proved too much down the stretch as the Westerners plated 11 runs on 15 hits to secure the win.
North Shore Navigators will return home to play against the Keene Swamp Bats Friday night. The Danbury Westerners will compete against the Sanford Mainers Friday night in Sanford, ME.
Mystic Schooners vs Newport Gulls
Final Score: Schooners 10, Gulls 9
Groton, CT – The Mystic Schooners outlasted the Newport Gulls for a 10-9 walk-off victory in a ten-inning thriller on Thursday at Shipyard Park.
Newport struck first with solo home runs from Braxton Tramel (East Carolina) in the third inning and Brandon Larson (USC) in the fourth.
Mystic responded in the bottom of the fourth on a solo shot by Anthony Ruggiero (Northeastern). The Schooners took control in the fifth, scoring four runs fueled by a two-RBI single from Anthony Belisario (Portal). Mystic extended the lead to 8-2 in the sixth when Thomas O'Connell (UVA) hit a two-RBI single and Christian Butera (Brown) delivered an RBI double.
The Gulls rallied in the seventh, scoring five runs highlighted by a two-RBI double from Gus Gandy (Samford) and an RBI single by Mason Ligenza (Pittsburgh).
Ruggiero hit his second solo home run in the bottom of the frame, but Newport tied the game 9-9 in the eighth on a two-RBI double by Adam Broski (Michigan State).
After two scoreless innings, Mystic won it in the tenth when Jack Harley (Stetson) singled to drive in Justin Best (Manhattan) via an error.
Tomorrow, the Gulls take on the Ocean State Waves at home in the Battle of the Bridge, while the Schooners host the first-place Martha's Vineyard Sharks.
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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.
