North Adams, MA – Sunday night across the NECBL featured late rallies, offensive outbursts, and strong pitching performances as teams continued to settle into the opening week of the 2026 season. Martha’s Vineyard handed Bristol its first loss of the summer, Valley erupted for 14 runs against Upper Valley, and Mystic used a decisive seventh inning to outlast Danbury. Elsewhere, Sanford picked up a road victory at North Adams while Vermont secured its first win of the season behind a strong pitching effort against North Shore.
Martha’s Vineyard Sharks vs. Bristol Blues
Final Score: Sharks 7, Blues 4
Bristol, CT – The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks survived multiple Bristol comeback attempts to earn a 7-4 victory over the Blues on Sunday evening at Muzzy Field. Nick Rubino (Wake Forest) led the Sharks offensively, going 2-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs.
Ryan Thompson (Rhode Island) opened the scoring with a two-run double in the first inning for Martha’s Vineyard. Bristol answered with runners on the corners and no outs, but only managed one run when Westin Boyle (Purdue) grounded into a fielder’s choice. The Blues tied the game in the third inning after another fielder’s choice from Christopher DiPrima (Yale).
The Sharks regained the lead in the fifth inning on an RBI single from Rubino before he added another RBI single in the seventh. During the same inning, a Bristol passed ball allowed James McGee (Kennesaw State) to score from third.
Bristol appeared close to escaping the inning before a throwing error by third baseman Colin Crowley (Winthrop) allowed another run to score. Rubino later added his third RBI of the night on a groundout.
The Blues mounted a late rally in the ninth inning. With the bases loaded, Crowley lined a two-run single to cut the deficit to three and bring the tying run to the plate. However, DiPrima flew out to center field to end the game.
Bristol struggled offensively outside of Crowley and Antonio Ducatelli (Central Connecticut), as the duo accounted for four of the team’s five hits.
Walker Brodt (Winthrop) earned the win for Martha’s Vineyard after allowing one run over four innings while striking out four. Grant Bradley took the loss for Bristol.
Martha’s Vineyard next faces the Cotuit Kettleers in an exhibition matchup Monday, while Bristol travels to Newport to face the Gulls.
Sanford Mainers vs. North Adams SteepleCats
Final Score: Mainers 4, SteepleCats 2
North Adams, MA – The Sanford Mainers walked into Joe Wolfe Field and came away with a 4-2 victory over the North Adams SteepleCats on Sunday evening. Although Sanford outhit North Adams 14-5, the SteepleCats pitching staff kept the game within reach throughout the night.
Albert De La Rosa (Maine) delivered an RBI double in the first inning to give Sanford an early 1-0 lead. North Adams scored its first run of the season in the second inning after Owen Arias (Central Connecticut) singled to right field. As Matthew Colella (Lafayette) advanced from first to third, Sanford right fielder Sam Miller (Binghamton) committed a throwing error that allowed Colella to score and tie the game.
RBI singles from Troy Carpenter (Maine) and Nater Wachter (UConn) helped the Mainers take a 3-1 lead through three innings.
North Adams cut into the deficit in the sixth inning after Colella reached on a throwing error by Sanford first baseman Brooks Perez (Duke), allowing Sean Stephenson (Iona) to score.
Miller later added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, while the SteepleCats were unable to generate a rally in the ninth.
Brennan Rumpf (Maine) earned the win after pitching four innings and allowing one unearned run while striking out six. Garret Gates took the loss after surrendering three runs, two earned, over eight hits.
Sanford hosts the defending NECBL champion Keene SwampBats on Monday, while North Adams travels to Vermont.
Valley Blue Sox vs. Upper Valley Nighthawks
Final Score: Blue Sox 14, Nighthawks 6
Hartford, VT – The Valley Blue Sox exploded offensively in a 14-6 victory over the Upper Valley Nighthawks at Maxfield Sports Complex.
Anthony Grabau (Fordham) led the offensive barrage, finishing 4-for-6 with three runs scored, two RBIs, and a home run. Chris Carson (Stony Brook) added three RBIs, including a triple, while Nick Tomasetto (Seton Hall) drove in three runs on a 2-for-5 performance.
Trevor Harmon (San Francisco) contributed two hits and an RBI, while Jack Myers (Southern University) added two RBIs during the offensive surge.
The Blue Sox also showed patience at the plate, drawing nine walks. Anthony Tirado (UMass Amherst) reached base three times via walks and scored three runs, while Chris Cancel (UConn) chipped in with two hits, two runs scored, and an RBI.
On the mound, Valley’s pitching staff combined for 12 strikeouts while limiting Upper Valley to seven hits. Riley Williams (Mount St. Mary’s) started the game before Owen Basso (Lafayette) earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief. Kaden Kimble (Mount St. Mary’s) and Dom Ruggiero later combined to close out the game.
Upper Valley was paced offensively by James Love (Eastern Illinois), who went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Cameron Boardman (NJIT) added two hits and two runs scored.
Eric Santaella (Pace) took the loss after allowing five runs in two innings.
Valley returns home Monday night to face the Danbury Westerners, while Upper Valley prepares for Tuesday’s matchup against Keene.
Vermont Mountaineers vs. North Shore Navigators
Final Score: Mountaineers 3, Navigators 1
Montpelier, VT – The Vermont Mountaineers secured their first win of the season Sunday night with a 3-1 victory over the North Shore Navigators.
Both pitching staffs settled into an early duel. Vermont starter Ryan Brown (La Salle) struck out three in a scoreless first inning before giving way to Rex Hauser (Maine), who tossed 3.2 scoreless innings. North Shore starter Thomas Mahoney (Northeastern) allowed just one hit over two innings.
The Mountaineers finally broke through in the fifth inning when Matthew Minckler (Delaware) singled, stole second and third, and eventually scored on a double steal following a walk to Brayden Leonard (Villanova).
Vermont added another run in the sixth inning when Kevin Hager (Cornell) scored on an RBI triple by Alex Benevento (Brown).
The Navigators answered in the eighth inning as Daniel Leikus (Rhode Island) scored on a fielder’s choice from Maddix Simpson (Ohio State).
Vermont quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning after Benevento singled and later scored when Minckler drew a bases-loaded walk.
Davis Budd (Western Carolina) pitched a hitless ninth inning to earn the save. Hank Lippman (William & Mary) picked up the victory, while Gian Gamelli (Notre Dame) suffered the loss.
The Mountaineers host North Adams on Monday, while North Shore looks to rebound against Sanford on Tuesday night.
Mystic Schooners vs. Danbury Westerners
Final Score: Schooners 5, Westerners 3
Mystic, CT – The Mystic Schooners mounted a late-game rally to defeat the Danbury Westerners 5-3 in a back-and-forth battle.
Danbury opened the scoring in the top of the second inning when Michael Delph (West Point) reached on an error and crossed home plate on an RBI single by Teddy Cashman (Lafayette). Mystic answered in the bottom half of the frame when Joel Collado (Rhode Island) singled to score Bryce Detwiler (Connecticut).
The Schooners took their first lead in the fourth inning after Christian Hamilton (Georgetown) reached on an error and later scored on a wild pitch. Danbury responded in the fifth inning as Matthew Manjooran (Davidson) drove in Kyle Garbowski (Quinnipiac) with an RBI single.
Mystic reclaimed the lead in the bottom half courtesy of a sacrifice fly from Casey Wensley (Bryant). In the sixth inning, Guriyandel Salvá (Manhattan) scored on a wild pitch to tie the game once again for the Westerners.
The decisive moment came in the seventh inning. With the bases loaded, Camden Righi (Connecticut) drew a walk to force home the go-ahead run. Detwiler followed with an RBI single, and a subsequent error allowed two additional runs to score and secure the victory.
Danbury travels to Holyoke on Monday to face the Valley Blue Sox, while Mystic hosts the Ocean State Waves.
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.
