North Adams, MA – Saturday night across the NECBL featured dominant offensive performances, dramatic late-game moments, and another strong showing from the undefeated Bristol Blues. Bristol erupted for 12 runs against Mystic, while Martha’s Vineyard earned its first victory of the season behind a three-run first inning and strong bullpen work. Elsewhere, North Shore picked up its first win by holding off Sanford, Valley walked off Ocean State in Holyoke, and rain suspended the matchup between Danbury and Vermont.
Bristol Blues vs. Mystic Schooners
Final Score: Blues 12, Schooners 1
Groton, CT – The Bristol Blues thrashed the Mystic Schooners 12-1 on Saturday evening. Mystic’s pitching staff struggled throughout the contest, surrendering 11 hits while issuing 11 walks to Bristol hitters.
Bristol immediately loaded the bases in the first inning with no outs. Nicholas Francuzenko (Towson) hit a ground ball to shortstop, and after the force out at second, a throwing error from Gabriel Natividad (Winthrop) allowed another run to score and make it 2-0. The Blues added another run on an RBI double from Antonio Ducatelli (Central Connecticut).
Mason Breton (Long Island) continued the offensive surge with a two-run home run in the third inning to extend the lead to 5-0. Bristol added two more runs in the sixth inning when Trent Rice (Michigan State) scored on a wild pitch before Francuzenko drew a bases-loaded walk.
Mystic’s best scoring opportunity came in the seventh inning with runners on second and third, but Hudson Cavallo (West Virginia) escaped the jam during his third inning of relief work.
Bristol poured on four more runs in the eighth inning. Christopher DiPrima (Yale) delivered an RBI single before Westin Boyle (Purdue) followed with a two-run single. Steve Polizzi (Portal) capped the inning with a two-run double.
The Schooners broke up the shutout in the eighth inning on a wild pitch from Cavallo, but could not rally in the ninth.
Kyle Peters earned the win after pitching four innings while allowing three hits and two walks. Trace Hartman took the loss after surrendering four runs in three innings pitched. Cavallo recorded the rare five-inning save.
Bristol returns home Sunday to host the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks, while Mystic looks to rebound against the Danbury Westerners.
North Shore Navigators vs. Sanford Mainers
Final Score: Navigators 4, Mainers 2
Sanford, ME – The North Shore Navigators secured their first victory of the season with a hard-fought 4-2 win over the Sanford Mainers on Saturday evening at Goodall Park. Sanford attempted another late comeback but was unable to complete the rally.
Grant Hunter (Binghamton) opened the scoring with a two-run home run in the second inning. In the third inning, Jason Bello (Dayton) added another run on a sacrifice fly.
Sanford did not record its first hit until the fifth inning, when Steven Kraus (Binghamton) lined a double into right-center field.
North Shore added another insurance run in the sixth inning on a first-and-third play. Hunter broke for second base, and on the throw down from catcher Brennan Staubley (Southern Connecticut), Danati Fronduto (San Jacinto College) raced home from third.
Once Koby Seelig (Columbia) entered the game for the Navigators, Sanford finally responded. Nick Zampieron (Stony Brook) drove in a run with an RBI single in the sixth inning, and the Mainers later threatened with runners on first and third before Ethan Hunt (New Orleans) stranded both runners.
The Mainers added another run in the seventh inning after Brooks Perez (Duke) was hit by a pitch and Nater Wachter (UConn) followed with an RBI single. Sanford later brought the tying run to the plate once again, but the comeback effort fell short.
The Navigators travel to Vermont to face the Mountaineers next, while Sanford heads to North Adams to take on the SteepleCats.
Valley Blue Sox vs. Ocean State Waves
Final Score: Blue Sox 6, Waves 5
Holyoke, MA – The Valley Blue Sox earned a dramatic 6-5 walk-off victory over the Ocean State Waves on Saturday night at MacKenzie Stadium.
Valley’s offense got rolling early behind contributions from Anthony Tirado, Anthony Grabau, Trevor Harmon, Eddison Esquive, Chris Carson, Brett Rogers, Matt Wolfe, Nico Soul, and Scott Donahue, who consistently applied pressure throughout the game.
Starting pitcher Jackson Hinchliffe set the tone on the mound by keeping Ocean State scoreless through the opening innings as Valley grabbed an early 1-0 lead.
Ocean State tied the game in the third inning, but timely hits from Tirado, Grabau, and Harmon helped the Blue Sox continue to answer offensively and maintain momentum through the middle innings.
The Waves rallied late to erase Valley’s advantage and force a 5-5 tie entering the ninth inning. In the bottom of the frame, however, the Blue Sox delivered the decisive run in walk-off fashion, sending the home crowd into celebration.
The win capped an electric night in Holyoke and showcased Valley’s resilience after Ocean State’s late comeback attempt.
Danbury Westerners vs. Vermont Mountaineers
Final Score: Game Suspended Due to Rain
Danbury, CT – Saturday night’s game between the Danbury Westerners and Vermont Mountaineers was suspended due to rain with the score tied 3-3 in the fifth inning.
The game will resume in the bottom of the fifth inning on June 21st at Montpelier Recreation Field.
Martha’s Vineyard Sharks vs. Newport Gulls
Final Score: Sharks 5, Gulls 3
Oak Bluffs, MA – The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks used a dominant three-run first inning and a strong bullpen effort to defeat the Newport Gulls 5-3 on Saturday night at The Shark Tank.
The Gulls struck first in the opening inning when Tristan Salinas (Rutgers-New Brunswick) drove in Chris Klug (Naval Academy) on a fielder’s choice. Martha’s Vineyard answered immediately in the bottom half after loading the bases.
Jackson Taylor (Clemson) delivered a two-run double to score Jackson Roper (Wake Forest) and Griffin Crain (Louisville), while Colin Gibbs (Maryland) followed with an RBI fielder’s choice to plate Jaylen Hernandez (Winthrop) and give the Sharks a 3-1 lead.
The score remained unchanged until the fifth inning when Hernandez launched a solo home run to extend the lead to 4-1. Newport responded with an RBI single from Ryan Jaros (Rutgers) in the sixth inning to score Maddox Haley (Gonzaga).
The Gulls added another run in the seventh inning when Haley drove home Klug with an RBI single. Martha’s Vineyard answered in the bottom half after consecutive walks loaded the bases before Nick Rubino (Wake Forest) drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Roper for an insurance run.
The Gulls were unable to rally in the ninth inning as closer Thomas Achey (Stetson) tossed a scoreless inning to secure the save. Serigne Sarre (Mount St. Mary’s) earned the victory for the Sharks, while Luke Fithian (Rutgers) took the loss.
The Sharks travel to Bristol on Sunday to face the Blues, while Newport returns home Monday looking for its first win of the season.
The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a wooden bat college summer league that fields teams in all six New England states. Partially funded by Major League Baseball, the New England League started play in 1994 and has sent over 240 alumni to the Major Leagues, with nearly 30 alumni taken in the first round of the MLB Draft. For continuing coverage of the NECBL, visit NECBL.com and follow the league on X/Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
