Extra-Inning Thrillers and One-Run Games Highlight Wednesday NECBL Action

Upper Valley Nighthawks vs. Mystic Schooners

Final Score: Nighthawks 7, Schooners 6

White River Junction, VT - The Upper Valley Nighthawks notched a 7-6 win over the Mystic Schooners on Wednesday night. 

Upper Valley broke the scoreless tie with three runs in the second inning, before notching another in the third to make it 4-0. However, Mystic went on a tear in the top of the fourth. An RBI fielder's choice from Jamie Zee (Notre Dame), a throwing error from Nighthawks pitcher Micah Wells (St. Joseph's) driving in two, and an RBI single from Adam Troch (Duke) tied it at 4-4. 

Ethan Brown (Dartmouth) took the lead right back for Upper Valley with a two-run bomb in the bottom half. Thomas O'Connell (Virginia) got one right back for the Schooners to make it 6-5. O'Connell tied it up with a sac fly in the eighth to make it 6-6. 

Despite having the bases loaded with one out, the Nighthawks only notched one run with a walk from Levi Jones (San Diego St.). Despite that, it was enough. Arthur Green (Molloy) got the win with one inning and an unearned run on his mantle. Luke Trout (Brown)got the loss for allowing a run in 1.1 innings. Julian Rondon (Liberty) got the save. 

The Nighthawks got Thursday off before heading to Goodall Park to face the Sanford Mainers. Mystic will be playing a double-header on Thursday against the Danbury Westerners. 

Box Score

North Adams Steeplecats vs. Vermont Mountaineers

Final Score: Mountaineers 13, Steeplecats 10

North Adams, MA – The Vermont Mountaineers prevail over the North Adams Steeplecats 13-10 in an offensive shootout at Joe Wolfe Field on Wednesday night. 

Vermont struck first thanks to an error from Cats catcher Owen Arias (Babson) when Matthew Minckler (Delaware) stole third. Sebastian Rhoades (Delgado CC) got it right back with an RBI groundout. Both teams traded runs once more, with Arias notching a sac fly, and Minckler benefitting from another error while running for third base, this time going for a triple. 

North Adams managed a great third inning rally, with a pair of RBI doubles from Nelphie Lopez (Portal) and Rhoades, as well as an RBI single from Evan Meier (Mt. Saint Mary's) to go up 5-2. However, Vermont once again had an equal and opposite reaction. An RBI single, a sac fly and a wild pitch in the top of the fourth tied the game for the third time. 

A bases loaded walk from Lopez in the bottom half only served as a precursor for what happened in the fifth. North Adams proceeded to put up three more to go up 9-5. 

Believe it or not, Minckler made himself a threat once again, knocking another triple while driving in a run in the seventh inning. He later scored on a balk to make it 9-7. Bryce Rudisill (Mt. Saint Mary's) stole home during a first and third play. Aidan Botti (Rhode Island (U of)) knocked in an RBI single. Finally, a two-run triple from JJ Parsons (UNC Greensboro) gave Vermont the lead for the first time since the first inning. 

Jake Butler (George Mason) scored from third on a dropped third strike to make it 11-10. However, Parsons knocked in a pair of runs with a single in the ninth to make it 13-10. 

Kody Collins (Middle Georgia St.) got the win despite giving up two unearned runs. Niko Christion (Central Connecticut St.) took the loss for North Adams, allowing three unearned runs. Luke Deschenes (Seton Hill) got the rare three-inning save. 

Vermont has Thursday off before a home matchup against the North Shore Navigators on Friday. North Adams will look to rebound at Alumni Field against the Keene Swamp Bats. 

Box Score

Martha's Vineyard Sharks vs Newport Gulls

Final Score: Sharks 5, Gulls 4

Newport, RI- The Martha's Vineyard Sharks overcame a fourth-inning deficit and a late Newport rally to escape with a wild 5-4, ten-inning win over the Newport Gulls on Wednesday.

The Sharks trailed 4-3 entering the ninth before tying it and pushing across the winning run in the tenth.

Austin Pierzynski (University of Alabama at Birmingham) led the Sharks' offense, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a sacrifice fly. Will Hampton (Vanderbilt) drove in two runs, and Nick Barron (Northwestern), Jack Kamin (Tufts), Will Bavaro (Florida State College), Griffin Crain (University of Louisville) and Jackson Roper (Wake Forest) each added a hit as Martha's Vineyard out-hit Newport 12-10.

Newport got two RBI from DH Colby Wallace (East Carolina), who tripled and scored twice, while Ryan Jaros (Rutgers) went 3-for-5 with an RBI and Tristan Salinas (Rutgers) added two hits and an RBI. The Gulls stranded 12 runners and couldn't hold a three-run seventh-inning lead.

Sharks starter Ryan Gold (Kennesaw State) struck out 11 over six innings of one-run ball, and Ryan Renfroe (Kennesaw State) worked 1.2 scoreless innings for the win. Newport's Kyler Zagar (Oklahoma State) took the loss, allowing the go-ahead run in the tenth.

The Sharks play Ocean State Waves Friday; the Gulls face the Bristol Blues Thursday.

Box Score

Sanford Mainers vs North Shore Navigators

Final Score: Mainers 7, Navigators 6 

Lynn, MA- Despite a three run ninth inning, the Navigators fell just short in a 7-6 loss to the Mainers Wednesday night. 

Sanford got off to a quick start, scoring in the first inning off of a triple down the right field line by Jack Tate (St. John's). They added on two more in the top of the second on a single by Albert De La Rosa (UMaine) and a double by Brian Connolly (URI). The Navigators answered in the bottom of the inning, getting on the board on a single by Simmi Whitehill (Monmouth). Sanford took advantage of some pitching miscues in the top of the fourth when Antonio Morales (Maryland) scored on a wild pitch. 

Sanford scored three insurance runs in the top of the ninth which is what allowed them to come away with the win. Tate had another RBI with a single up the middle to score Connolly. Domenico Tozzi (Coastal Carolina) had a huge two run homerun to left center to follow. The Navigators scored three in the bottom of the ninth, with a sacrifice fly by Aidan Sengenberger (Seton Hall) and a triple by Anderson French (Dallas Baptist), but the Navigators ultimately fell just one run short. 

Gabriel Gifford (Southern Maine) earned his first win of the season, throwing three innings allowing no runs on only one hit, one walk, and four strikeouts. Ethan Hunt (New Orleans) took the loss for the Navigators. 

Both teams will have the day off tomorrow as the Navigators prepare to head on the road to take on the Vermont Mountaineers and the Mainers head home to host the Upper Valley Nighthawks on Friday. 

Box Score

Valley Blue Sox vs Danbury Westerners

Final Score: Westerners 6, Blue Sox 5

Holyoke, MA - The Danbury Westerners defeated the Valley Blue Sox 6-5 in a dramatic ten inning matchup on Wednesday night. 

The Blue Sox jumped ahead in the second inning with a three run burst. Anthony Tirado (Penn State) and Trey Spees (Western Carolina) each hit RBI singles before Chris Cancel (UConn) doubled in another run. 

The Westerners chipped away in the fourth when Ronan Donohue (Sacred Heart) put Danbury on the board with an RBI double. 

Although Spees answered with an RBI double in the bottom half, the Westerners came back. 

In the sixth, Donohue cleared the bases with a clutch triple to tie the game.

Both pitching staffs traded scoreless frames until the tenth. In the top half, Donohue struck again, driving in Aidan Stern (Trinity) and Kyle Garbowski (Quinnipiac) with a two-run single. 

Valley answered in the bottom half when Jacob Dilley (UNC-Greensboro) reached on an error to score Spees but Garrett Snyder (Houston) shut the door. 

Snyder earned the win, while Jake LeFrancois (UMass Lowell) was tagged with the loss.

The Blue Sox try to snap their three-game win streak tomorrow agains the Ocean State Waves while the Westerners host the Mystic Schooners. 

Box Score

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