Newport Explodes, Sharks Stay Hot in Friday NECBL Action
North Adams, MA – Friday night across the NECBL featured offensive fireworks, a split doubleheader, and another strong showing from the league's division leaders. Newport erupted for 19 runs against Keene, Martha's Vineyard rolled past Ocean State with a 17-run outburst, and Sanford defeated Upper Valley to remain atop the North Division. Elsewhere, Valley and Bristol split a twin bill, while Vermont rallied past North Shore.
Valley Blue Sox vs Bristol Blues (Game One)
Final Score: Blue Sox 7, Blues 1
Bristol, CT – The Valley Blue Sox defeated the Bristol Blues, 7-1, on Friday at Muzzy Field in a game that resumed after being postponed due to rain on July 4.
In the first four innings that were played two weeks ago, the contest stayed scoreless until the top of the third inning when Jacob Dilley (UNC-Greensboro) drove in Nick Tomasetto (Seton Hall) with a sacrifice fly.
Bristol responded in the bottom half when Cal Chance (UMass Lowell) cracked an RBI single to tie things up.
The Blue Sox then took control in the top of the fourth, erupting for three runs.
Trey Spees (Western Carolina) hit a sacrifice fly before Tomasetto and Matt Wolfe (Middle Tennessee) laced consecutive RBI doubles to build a 4-1 lead.
Tonight, Valley broke the game open in the eighth inning with another three-run surge.
Nico Soul (Appalachian State) and Nick Spaventa (Penn) each delivered RBI singles, and Chris Carson (Stony Brook) tacked on a sacrifice fly to secure the 7-1 victory.
Andrew Oppenheimer earned the win, allowing just one run over eight dominant innings. Justin Silverstein (High Point) was charged with the loss.
Bristol Blues vs Valley Blue Sox (Game Two)
Final Score: Blues 5, Blue Sox 4
Bristol, CT – The Bristol Blues secured a 5-4 walk-off win over the Valley Blue Sox at Muzzy Field in seven innings, to split their doubleheader.
The Blue Sox built an early lead in the first inning when Anthony Tirado (Penn State) scored on an error and Jacob Dilley (UNC-Greensboro) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
Valley extended their lead to 4-0 in the fifth inning when Chris Carson (Stony Brook) launched a two-run home run down the right field line following a single from Nick Tomasetto (Seton Hall).
Bristol started its comeback in the bottom half as Evan Menzel (UConn) doubled and scored on a Nick Flores (VCU) sacrifice fly.
The Blues erupted in the sixth, loading the bases before Sean Britt (St. John's) smashed a two-RBI double to left center.
Menzel followed with an RBI single, driving in Mason Breton (LIU Post) to tie the game. In the bottom of the seventh, Cal Chance (UMass Lowell) provided the game-winning hit with the bases loaded, driving a walk-off single to right field.
Bristol continues tomorrow as they travel to Fraser Field to face the North Shore Navigators, while the Blue Sox host the Sanford Mainers.
Vermont Mountaineers vs. North Shore Navigators
Final Score: Mountaineers 4, Navigators 3
Montpelier, VT – The Vermont Mountaineers took a narrow 4-3 victory over the North Shore Navigators on Friday Night.
North Shore broke the scoreless tie in the third inning with an RBI double from Hunter Kingsbury (Bryant). Anderson French (Dallas Baptist) drove in another run while reaching base on an error to make it 2-0. Some savvy baserunning in the fourth inning brought in another Navs run.
Vermont got two back in the bottom half, first with a throwing error from Navs catcher Aidan Sengenberger (Seton Hall), and secondly from a wild pitch. In the sixth, a sac fly from Sebastian Collender (Middle Georgia St.) tied the game at 3-3, before an Elliot Miles (Umass Boston) RBI single gave the Mountaineers their first lead of the game, which they held.
Jackson Hulcher (Portal) got the win, going 3.1 innings without allowing a baserunner. John Milewski (Lafayette) got the loss, allowing two earned runs in two innings pitched. Davis Budd (Western Carolina) notched the save.
North Shore gets to head back home as the Bristol Blues pay them a visit on Saturday. Vermont will head out to Alumni Field to face the Keene Swamp Bats.
Newport Gulls vs. Keene Swamp Bats
Final Score: Gulls 19, Swamp Bats 2
Newport, RI - The Newport Gulls showed out for their 25th anniversary night at Cardines Field on Friday night, beating the Keene Swamp Bats 19-2.
The Gulls got on the scoreboard in dramatic fashion, by putting up seven runs in the bottom of the second inning, capped off by a bases-clearing double from Braxton Tramel (East Carolina).
Although Keene got one back in the top of the third with an RBI fielder's choice, Newport got two more in the fourth. A bases loaded walk from Tristan Salinas (Rutgers) in the fifth got Newport to double-digit runs. They added another one in the sixth, before scoring another five in the seventh to make it 16-1. Keene scored one more in the eighth, and got punished for it, as Newport added three more in the bottom half.
Victor Frederick (St. John's) got the win with five innings of one-run ball. Jack Davis (UNC Asheville) got the loss, allowing seven runs, although only two of them earned.
Newport will travel to Montpelier to take on the Vermont Mountaineers on Saturday. Keene will look towards a Sunday matchup against the Upper Valley Nighthawks.
Upper Valley Nighthawks vs Sanford Mainers
Final Score: Mainers 9, Nighthawks 5
Sanford, ME- The Sanford Mainers used a balanced offensive attack and a strong bullpen effort to defeat the Upper Valley Nighthawks 9-5. Sanford's pitching staff struck out 11 Nighthawks batters over the course of the game while limiting Upper Valley to just seven hits, and Drew Sliwkowski (Massachusetts Amherst) picked up the win in relief.
Sanford's offense was led by Jacob Harring (Salve Regina), who drove in two runs and scored once in five at-bats, and Jack Tate (St. John's), who went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Albert De La Rosa (Maine) added a run-scoring single, while Jackson Sirois (Maryland) drove in two runs with a base hit of his own. Nater Wachter (Connecticut) chipped in a sacrifice fly RBI, and Steven Kraus (Binghamton) came around to score twice despite going hitless. On the mound, Andrew Middleton (Maryland), Jake Dally (Binghamton) and TJ Curley (Stonehill) combined with Sliwkowski to keep the Nighthawks offense in check for much of the night.
Upper Valley got a strong game from Frank Kelly (High Point), who went 2-for-2 with two runs scored, and James Love (Eastern Illinois), who drove in three runs on a pair of hits. Kyle Langley (James Madison) also reached base three times, scoring a run and driving in another while swiping a bag. Jonathan Holt (Saint Joseph's), Nick Quagliato (Boston College) and William Hurt (Virginia Tech) rounded out the Nighthawks' lineup, with Hurt adding an RBI hit of his own. Anthony Bubba (Quinnipiac) started on the mound for Upper Valley and was followed by Vincent Luther (Binghamton), Leo Barta (Haverford) and Chris Bedford (Hofstra) out of the bullpen.
Despite the offensive effort from Kelly, Love and Langley, Upper Valley's pitching staff couldn't contain a deep Sanford lineup that spread its damage across the order. The Mainers' bullpen, capped by Sliwkowski's win, proved to be the difference as Sanford improved to another mark in the win column while the Nighthawks dropped this North Division matchup.
Ocean State Waves vs Martha's Vineyard Sharks
Final Score: Sharks 17, Waves 6
Oak Bluffs, MA- The Sharks offense dominated Friday night as they walked away with a 17-6 win against the Waves.
Kevin Hall (Alabama Birmingham) led the day at the plate for the Sharks, going four for five with a walk and six RBI. Hall had a two home run game with a two run shot to center in the bottom of the third, followed later in the game with a three run home run in the bottom of the seventh. Carter Bentley (Northeastern) went three for four with two walks and two RBI of his own coming on a single in the bottom of the second. Nick Rubino (Wake Forest) went three for five with a walk. He also had a two RBI single in the bottom second. Wesley Scott (Louisiana Tech), Austin Pierzynski (Alabama Birmingham), and Jailen Watkins (Miami) also each had an RBI.
The defensive side of the ball hurt the Waves today allowing 3 errors with the pitching staff also allowing nine walks.
Despite the defensive struggle the Waves were still able to plate six runs. Charlie Saul (Bryant) helped lead the Waves at the plate, going two for four with a walk and two RBI. Saul had an RBI double in the top of the second as well as a solo home run in the top of the eighth. Blaize Ward (Vanderbilt) also had a great day at the plate, going three for four with a walk. Williams Mahala (Virginia) and Zach Plasschaert (Fresno State) also each had an RBI for the Waves. Unfortunately for them, the Waves simply couldn't catch up to the Sharks' offense.
The Sharks look to keep the offense going as they head to Joe Wolfe Field tomorrow to take on the North Adams SteepleCats. The Waves will head home to Old Mountain Field as they look to bounce back against the Mystic Schooners.
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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.
