Keene Erupts for 19 While Sharks Edge Navigators in Thriller
North Adams, MA – Saturday night across the NECBL featured an offensive showcase heading into the All-Star break, as the Keene Swamp Bats erupted for 19 runs to topple the first-place Sanford Mainers and the Martha's Vineyard Sharks outlasted the North Shore Navigators in a 23-run thriller. Elsewhere, Upper Valley rolled past North Adams, Bristol snapped Danbury's seven-game winning streak, Valley earned a split with Mystic behind a 10-run outburst, and Newport edged Ocean State in a one-run battle.
Marthas Vineyard Sharks vs North Shore Navigators
Final Score: Sharks 12, Navigators 11
Oak Bluffs, MA – The Marthas Vineyard Sharks outlasted the North Shore Navigators 12-11 in a wild back-and-forth thriller at The Shark Tank.
The Marthas Vineyard Sharks erupted for six runs in the opening frame, highlighted by an RBI single from Carter Bentley (Northeastern) and a grand slam by James McGee (Kennesaw St.).
The North Shore Navigators responded with a seven-run rally in the second inning, powered by a grand slam from Anderson French (Dallas Baptist) and a two-RBI double by Hunter Kingsbury (Bryant) to pull ahead 7-6.
Kingsbury extended the lead with a two-RBI triple in the third, but the Sharks answered with three runs in the home half to knot the score at 9-9.
After Griffin Crain (Louisville) stole home in the fifth inning to regain the lead, both teams traded runs in the sixth.
Will Bavaro (Florida State College) then delivered a crucial seventh-inning RBI single for needed insurance.
The Navigators pulled within a run in the ninth on an RBI single by Danny Flynn (Northeastern), but Ben Waterman (Lafayette) held on to earn the save. Reliever Kian Vorster (Louisville) earned the win, while Thomas Mahoney (Northeastern) took the loss.
The Navigators return to action on Monday with a double header against the Mystic Schooners, meanwhile the Sharks host the Valley Blue Sox.
Keene SwampBats vs Sanford Mainers
Final Score: SwampBats 19, Mainers 3
Keene, NH – The Keene SwampBats offense exploded for 25 hits to overpower the first-place Sanford Mainers 19-3 on Saturday night at Alumni Field.
Brennan Staubley (Elon) put Sanford on the board first with a second-inning sacrifice fly, but Keene answered with seven runs in the third to take control.
Avery Smith (Penn State) launched a solo home run to start the rally, while Micah Kendrick (Louisiana Lafayette), Charlie Meglio (Rutgers), Petey Craska (North Alabama), T.J. Schuyler (Georgia Southern), and Dylan Fitzsimmons (St. John's) each drove in runs during the frame.
The SwampBats kept pressing, adding four runs in the fourth and three in the fifth, highlighted by Fitzsimmons' second homer of the game.
Kendrick blew the game open in the seventh with a three-run homer, finishing 3-for-6 with six RBIs.
Schuyler followed with a two-run blast of his own, capping a 4-for-5, three-RBI night.
Sanford managed late solo home runs from Steven Kraus (Binghamton) and Jackson Sirois (Maryland), but could not close the gap.
The SwampBats return on Tuesday following the All-Star Game, as they host the Nashua Silver Knights for an inter-league matchup, while the Mainers host the Vermont Mountaineers.
North Adams SteepleCats vs Upper Valley Nighthawks
Final Score: Nighthawks 10, SteepleCats 3
Hartford, VT- The Nighthawk offense dominated Saturday night against the SteepleCats.
Kyle Langley (JMU) led the Nighthawks at the plate today, going three for three with two walks and an RBI single in the bottom of the first. Nick Quagliato (Boston College) was responsible for four of the Nighthawks' runs, with a sacrifice fly in the first inning, a fielder's choice in the second, and a single up the middle in the fourth inning. Cameron Boardman (NJIT) had the other two RBIs in the game, coming on a double to right center in the bottom of the eighth. Frank Kelly (High Point) and James Love (Eastern Illinois) also had a good day at the plate. Kelly went two for three, scoring two of the Nighthawks runs, including stealing home in the first inning. Love went two for four with a walk.
It took a village on the mound tonight for the Nighthawks, using six different pitchers in the game. Leo Barta (Haverford) earned the win, throwing one inning allowing no runs and no hits with only one walk and one strikeout. Jackson Caldwell (UNC Wilmington), Rees Heigle (Mt. St. Mary's), and Arthur Green (Molloy) all threw scoreless innings as well.
Parker Camelo (Rhode Island College) and Jack Espiritu Niswonger (Dartmouth) had the lone two RBIs in the game for the SteepleCats. Despite having seven hits, the SteepleCats were unable to string them together and catch up to the Nighthawks.
Both teams will be back in action on Monday following Sunday's All Star Game as the SteepleCats head to Cardines Field to take on the Newport Gulls and Upper Valley heads to Rogers Park to take on the Danbury Westerners in a double header.
Valley Blue Sox vs Mystic Schooners
Final Score: Blue Sox 10, Schooners 3
Groton, CT- The Valley Blue Sox bounced back from an earlier 3-2 loss to sweep the day's split by pounding out 14 hits in a 10-3 win over the Mystic Schooners on the road. Nick Tomasetto (Seton Hall) set the tone in the first inning with a solo home run to left field, and the shortstop kept rolling all night, finishing 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs. Nick Spaventa (Penn) also went deep for Valley, part of a 2-for-5 night, while Michael Iannazzo (Elon) drove in two runs and Chris Carson (Stony Brook) chipped in a two-hit game with an RBI.
Valley's lineup stayed hot up and down the order. Nico Soul (Appalachian State), Jacob Dilley (UNC-Greensboro) and Joshua Toole (George Mason) all reached base multiple times, with Toole adding two hits and a run scored. The Blue Sox out-hit Mystic 14-9 and turned two double plays behind Niall Todd (Georgia State), who came on in relief and picked up the win, tossing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Lukas Jachens (SUNY Oneonta) started and allowed one run over two innings, and Jon Shields (Angelo State) and Jason Pinsonnault (Western New England) closed it out.
Mystic got production from the middle of its order but couldn't keep pace. Adam Troch (Duke) led off and scored twice, going 2-for-4 out of center field, and Bryce Detwiler (Connecticut) added two hits at first base. Catcher Thomas O'Connell (Virginia) drove in a run, and the Schooners got extra-base contributions from their bottom of the order as well. On the mound, starter Brady Bouchard (Binghamton) took the loss after allowing six runs on six hits over two innings, though relievers Landon Manzi and Zev Salsberg (both Northeastern-affiliated arms) settled things down late, combining for two scoreless innings.
The split leaves Valley Blue Sox at 17-19-1 and Mystic Schooners at 22-17 as both clubs continue jockeying for playoff positioning down the stretch. Valley will look to carry the offensive momentum into its next outing, while Mystic will turn to its bullpen depth to shore up a rough second game after an otherwise strong day at the plate in the opener.
Bristol Blues vs Danbury Westerners
Final Score: Blues 7, Westerners 2
Danbury, CT- An explosive seventh inning helped the Blues take the win over Danbury on Saturday night.
The Blues started the scoring in the top of the third. Cal Chance (UMass Lowell) doubled to left center to score Nick Flores (VCU). The Westerners were quick to respond with a solo home run from Ryan Martin (Dallas Baptist). The Blues didn't wait long to take the lead again, scoring two more in the top of the fourth. Colin Crowley (Winthrop) had an RBI single to right, followed by another RBI single by Evan Menzel (Uconn).
The Westerners scored their final run in the bottom of the sixth, when Ronan Donohue (Sacred Heart) reached on an error that allowed Gavin Donohue (Sacred Heart) to score. However, the Blues weren't done yet.
Crowley got the seventh inning scoring started with a solo home run to right center. The last three Blues runs were scored on a few defensive miscues by the Westerners including an error and a wild pitch.
JD Costanzo (West Virginia) earned the win for Blues, throwing three innings allowing no earned runs on two hits and one walk with six strikeouts.
The Westerners will be back in action on Monday following Sunday's All Star Game as they take on the Upper Valley Nighthawks at home for a double header. The Blues will be back on Tuesday to host the SteepleCats at Muzzy Field.
Newport Gulls vs Ocean State Waves
Final Score: Gulls 6, Waves 5
South Kingstown, RI- The Gulls walked away with a close win against the Waves on Saturday night.
Charlie Saul (Bryant) had a phenomenal day at the plate for the Waves. He was responsible for all five of Ocean States' runs, going two for four at the plate. Saul had a two home run game, with a two run home run to right in the third and a three run home run in the seventh.
Ernie Echevarria led the way at the plate for the Gulls. Echevarria went two for five at the plate with two RBIs coming in the top of the seventh with a single to center. The other Gulls runs came courtesy of three other Gulls. Cade Brown (Georgia Tech) had a sacrifice fly to right in the top of the fourth. Caeden Cloud also had a sacrifice fly, with his coming in the fifth inning. Ryan Novak's (Miami) came in the seventh when he drew a walk with the bases loaded. The final run came when Gus Gandy (Samford) scored on a wild pitch.
David McSweeney (Northeastern) earned his third win for the Gulls and Colby Wallace (East Carolina) earned his first save. Braeden Perry (Rhode Island) took the loss for the Waves.
Both teams will be back in action on Tuesday following Sunday's All Star Game as the Waves head to MacKenzie Stadium to play a double header against the Valley Blue Sox and the Gulls head to Rogers Park to take on the Danbury Westerners.
