Blue Sox Dominate, North Shore Scores First Home Victory In Warm NECBL Summer Day
Sanford Mainers vs North Shore Navigators
Final Score: North Shore 6, Sanford 3
Lynn, MA - The North Shore Navigators secured their first home win and improved to 2-5 on the season Wednesday afternoon after they defeated the Sanford Mainers 6-3 behind a comeback that saw them score five-unanswered runs. The Mainers started off early, trying to eliminate the home field advantage for North Shore. Jack Toomey (Boston College) took the ball and smashed it to left field, allowing for Zach Kent (SUNY Binghamton) to cross home plate. This setup a duel of the bullpens.
The two pitching cores clashed, allowing a total of six hits through six innings. North Shore’s John Whitney (Samford) was able to strike out seven Mainers in four innings while his opposition, Alfred Mucciarone (UMass Lowell) struck out six of the Navigators. In total, the two juggernaut pitching cores struck out a total of 18 Ks through six. It was Sanford who was able to put a crack in the duel. In the top of seventh, Luke Jenkins (UNC Greensboro) smacked the baseball to center field, scoring Blake Schaaf (Georgetwon) increasing the lead to two runs. The Navigators were able to respond with a Ethan Wilson (Winthrop) RBI single. This broke open the scoring dam allowing for the Navigators to sail right through, racking up six total runs that innings.
Following the RBI single by Wilson, Brooks Wright (Louisiana Lafayette) singled to score a run. Then, Jesse Jaconski (Penn State) singled to score Ethan Wilson. North shore wasn’t finished as Wright walked home after Aiden Sengenberger (Stonehill) saw four balls. Sean Scanlon (Holy Cross) then knocked home two more runs to bring the lead to 6-2. Sanford was able to grab a run back in the top of the ninth with a Kyle Douin (Southern Maine) single. However, it wasn’t enough to spark a comeback as North Shore shut down the rest of the side.
North Shore pitcher Raymond McNaught (Quinnipiac) was granted the victory in the duel, while Sanford ace Mikey Plummer (Navy) was handed his first loss of the young season.
The Navigators are back in action Thursday night as they take on the Bristol Blues in Connecticut. The Sanford Mainers return home to defend their field from the visiting Keene SwampBats Thursday at 6:35 pm.
Ocean State Waves vs Newport Gulls
Final Score: Newport 7, Ocean State 5
Newport, RI- The Newport Gulls added to the win column after braving an Ocean State comeback defeating the Waves 7-5. First pitch occurred at 6:35 pm and Newport wasted no time in establishing their offensive and defensive presence. After shutting down the Waves first three batters, Cade Brown (Georgia) singled to bring home Randy Seymour (Michigan State). The two teams then locked themselves in a defensive stalemate for the next three innings. It was finally broken in the top of the fifth when Ocean State’s Greg Pettay (South Alabama) registered an RBI single. The Waves c added to their lead in the following inning when Michael Brinker (Northeastern) sacrificed an at-bat to bring home Kolton Reynolds (Arkansas Fayetteville).
Newport’s offense responded to the two unanswered Ocean State runs by taking the lead back and adding five runs of their own. Ryan Novak (Miami) started it off by driving Petey Craska (North Alabama) home. That was followed up by a Michael Bolton (Binghamton) grand slam over the center field wall. The Gulls continued their offensive run, adding a Petey Craska RBI single in the seventh.
Ocean State answered the Gulls with a three run eighth inning. Kolton Reynolds singled to bring Brandyn Durand (Bryant) home. Gavin Greger (Bryant) smashed the baseball to the outfield for a two-run double, bringing Reynolds and Jack LaRose (UConn) home. However that offensive burst wasn’t enough as the Newport Gulls were able to shut it down in the top of the ninth, securing the win.
Gulls ace Ethan Lund (Oklahoma State) was credited with the win. His fellow Gulls Marcel Kulik (Virginia Tech) is handed the save. Ocean State Pitcher Josh McDevitt (Missouri Columbia) was issued a loss on the season.
The Newport Gulls are back in action after a brief day off to host the Valley Blue Sox Friday night. The Waves will have a day of rest before they sail to Martha’s Vineyard to take on the Sharks Friday night.
Vermont Mountaineers vs Upper Valley Nighthawks
Finals Score: Mountaineers 4, Nighthawks 6
Montpelier, VT – The Upper Valley Nighthawks won the rescheduled battle against the Vermont Mountaineers on Wednesday night by a score of 6-4. The Nighthawks completed the comeback, at one point trailing 4-1. Upper Valley combined for 4 runs in the top of the eighth and ninth innings to grab their third win of the season.
The Nighthawks got the scoring going in the top of the first inning. With left fielder Kyle Neri (Rider) on second base, first baseman Anthony Greco (William & Mary) ripped an RBI single into left field and gave Upper Valley an early lead. In the bottom of the second, the Mountaineers tied up the game at 1-1. Designated hitter Joey Pagano (St Joseph's) singled to center, scoring Braeden Smith (Charleston) from third. Vermont struck again in the bottom of the third, and it was Smith who grounded out, which scored Jaylen Hernandez (Winthrop) from third. The next batter for Vermont, Conlan Daniel (Wright State), kept the momentum going when he doubled to center field, scoring Ty Acker (George Washington), and making it 3-1 Mountaineers.
Vermont added another run in the bottom of the fourth off the bat of Foster Apple (Stetson). Apple singled to score Tank Yaghoubi (Elon) after a throwing error and gave the Mountaineers a three-run advantage. In the top of the sixth, Upper Valley got a run back off of a Neri RBI double to left field that scored Nick Monile (North Florida) and made it 4-2.
After two more scoreless frames, the Nighthawks resumed the scoring in the top of the eighth. With Greco on third base, Nick Shuhet (Rider) singled to center and pulled the game back within one. With only two outs left and trailing by one, Upper Valley got the offense going. Monile started the rally off with a walk, followed by Anthony Brotz (Marist), who singled to put runners on the corners. With Monile just 90 feet away, Neri did his job by hitting a sacrifice fly to left field and tying up the game 4-4.
The Nighthawks weren’t satisfied with the tie, as Ryan Preisano (Wake Forest) made it 5-4 with an RBI infield single. Two batters later, a wild pitch scored Greco from third and gave Upper Valley a two-run cushion, which closer Mason Phillips (West Georgia) was able to protect and get the win for the Nighthawks 6-4.
JT Guerrero (Fresno St) took home the win for Upper Valley while his teammate Phillips was given the save. Noah Hertzler (William & Mary) was credited with the loss for Vermont. The next game for the Nighthawks will be on Thursday evening when they host the North Adams Steeplecats. The Mountaineers will travel to take on the Danbury Westerners Thursday night as well.
Keene SwampBats vs North Adams Steeplecats
Final Score: SwampBats 7, Steeplecats 1
Keene, N.H. – The Keene SwampBats defeated the North Adams SteepleCats 7‑1 on Wednesday evening, powered by a four‑run sixth inning that broke open a tight game. The loss drops North Adams to 1‑4, while Keene improves to 5‑1 on the season.
The North Adams bats struck first in the top of the second. Gabriel Natividad (Winthrop) belted a solo shot to right field, his first homer of the season, and gave the SteepleCats a 1‑0 lead. That advantage held through the first five innings, thanks to sharp work by both starting pitchers: North Adams' Johnny Ruggiero Jr. (Maryville College) tossed five shutout innings, allowing just two hits; Keene’s Niklas Pavia (Franklin Pierce) yielded one run over five, surrendering three hits overall.
The game shifted in the bottom of the sixth when Keene erupted offensively. With one out, Chandler Tuupo (Charleston Southern), Nick Romano (Florida Atlantic), and Marshall Lipsey (Florida Atlantic) worked a walk, single, and double to load the bases. Michael O’Brien (Mississippi State) delivered a towering triple to right field, clearing the bases. He scored on the throw home, making it 4‑1 SwampBats. Jack Herring (East Carolina) then grounded out to end the inning’s scoring, but the damage was done.
Keene tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the seventh. Dylan Cupp (Mississippi State) reached on a single, and Tuupo flew out, advancing runners. Romano brought Cupp home with a sacrifice fly, then Lipsey followed with a ground‑out RBI, which made it 6‑1 heading into the eighth.
In the bottom of the eighth, O’Brien launched a solo home run (his second extra-base hit and fourth RBI of the game), stretching Keene’s lead to 7‑1. The SwampBats’ bullpen—Jayden Barroqueiro (James Madison), Andrew Lepine (Stetson), and Todd Kniebbe (Florida Atlantic)—locked down the final innings, combining for four scoreless frames.
In the ninth, Kniebbe slammed the door with a clean 1‑2‑3 inning to seal the win. North Adams went down quietly, with a groundout and two strikeouts to end the game.
With the win, Keene continues its early-season dominance. North Adams, still looking for momentum, will get another shot when the two teams face off again Thursday night at Alumni Field.
Valley Blue Sox vs Mystic Schooners
Final Score: Blue Sox 20, Schooners 3
Holyoke, MA – The Valley Blue Sox erupted for 20 runs on 20 hits Wednesday night, defeating the Mystic Schooners 20-3 at Mackenzie Stadium. A nine-run sixth inning broke the game wide open as Valley improved to 4-2 on the season.
The scoring started in the second when infielder Mike Lucarelli (Penn St) singled and came around to score on an RBI single by Andrew Loikits. Outfielder Michael Elko (Richmond) followed with a two-run double to give Valley a 3-0 lead. Mystic got one back in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from
