Sharks Win Fifth Straight, Nighthawks End Keene’s Perfect Start, Schooners Outlast Gulls in NECBL Thriller

North Shore Navigators vs. Valley Blue Sox

Final Score: Blue Sox 7, Navigators 6

Lynn, MA - The Valley Blue Sox pull out a narrow 7-6 win over the North Shore Navigators. North Shore managed to come back from down six runs to make this ballgame competitive before Valley's bullpen shut the door. 

Valley jumped out in the first inning thanks to an RBI double from Anthony Grabau (Fordham) and an RBI single from Trevor Harmon (San Francisco) to take a 2-0 lead after one inning. Trey Spees (Western Carolina) scored another run in the third after a North Shore wild pitch. 

Lucas Alberti (George Mason) notched a two-run triple to make it a five-run lead, and a throwing error from Navigators shortstop Michael Brown (Hofstra) produced another run to make it 6-0 entering the bottom of the fifth. 

Despite only having two hits through the first four innings, the Navigators finally put it all together in the bottom half of the fifth. Jack Rickheim (Harvard) drove in a run on a fielder's choice to start the inning. Jason Bello (Dayton) scored from third on a wild pitch, while Rickheim got driven in on a bloop single from Grayson Carpenter (Dayton). An RBI single from Hunter Kingsbury (Bryant) brought in a fourth run. To top it all off, catcher Aidan Sengenberger (Seton Hall) notched a two-run single to tie the game at 6-6. 

Jack Myers (Georgia Southern) gave Valley the lead right back in the seventh inning with an RBI single. Despite North Shore getting the tying run in scoring position, Jack Ensell (Barry) shut the door, with all three outs in the ninth coming via strikeout to earn the save. Jake LeFrancois (UMass Lowell) got the win out of the pen, pitching two shutout innings and allowing one baserunner. Charles Bergsma (Harvard) got the loss allowing a run in his two innings of work. 

The Blue Sox will travel to Connecticut to take on the Mystic Schooners on Friday. North Shore will look to rebound as they stay home to take on the Vermont Mountaineers on Friday. 

Box Score

Danbury Westerners vs. Ocean State Waves

Westerners 15, Waves 1

Danbury, CT - The Danbury Westerners once again notch a dominant win over the Ocean State Waves, winning 15-1 on Thursday evening in eight innings due to weather. Ronan Donohue (Sacred Heart) notched five RBI this game, which included a grand slam. 

Peter Link (Sacred Heart) came through with a two-run single to get the scoring started in the first inning. After the first inning, the Danbury offense went quiet for the next three innings. Unfortunately for them, when they loaded the bases in the fifth, no runs came across to score. 

The sixth inning saw Danbury absolutely blow the game open. Jack Edmunds (Brown) reached base on a dropped third strike, which also saw Donohue score from third. A couple of Westerners got hit by pitches, the second scoring Link from third. 

The next batter, Gavin Donohue (Sacred Heart), absolutely unloaded on a 2-2 offering, sending it over the fence for a grand slam, his first bomb of the season. A giant cherry on top of a seven-run sixth inning. Michael Delph (West Point) added to it in the seventh inning his first home run of the season, and his second hit on the year. 

It took until the eighth inning for Ocean State to get on the board. Gabriel Milano (Miami) smacked a single to left field, and Delph committed a throwing error, allowing William Mahala (Virginia) to score all the way from first base. 

Unfortunately for the Waves, the Westerners added another five runs before the game got called due to rain. Ian Brown (Navy) pitched five shutout innings for Danbury, getting himself the win. Kayden Faulcon (Pitt) pitched four innings while allowing two unearned runs, earning the loss on his record. 

The Westerners will make their way down to Connecticut for a matchup against the Bristol Blues on Friday in an effort to get their first win against a team that isn't the Waves. Ocean State will head back home and have a day off before a showdown with the Mystic Schooners on Saturday. 

Box Score

Keene Swamp Bats vs. Upper Valley Nighthawks

Final Score: Nighthawks 6, SwampBats 2

White River Junction, VT- The Nighthawks break the SwampBats undefeated streak, handing them their first loss of the season tonight. 

The SwampBats got ahead early on an RBI single by Griffin Enis (Virginia) in the top of the second, but an explosive five-run third inning ultimately secured the win for the Nighthawks. Charley Magoulick (Rider) started it off for the Nighthawks with a two RBI double, followed by Tim Dickinson (St. Joseph's) with a two RBI double of his own. Brooks Craigue (Middle Tennessee State) finished off the scoring in the third with an RBI single. 

Mateo Wells (High Point) earned his first win of the season for the Nighthawks, going five innings allowing only one run on two hits with five strikeouts. Charlie Jones (High Point) was lights out out of the bullpen, going two innings allowing no hits and no runs with three strikeouts, as well as Danny Lazaro (Virginia Tech) who also went two innings only giving up two hits and one run with three strike outs. 

Parker Lind (Kent State) had a strong day on the mound today for the SwampBats, going three and two thirds innings allowing no hits and no runs, but unfortunately the team wasn't able to come back from the Nighthawk's explosive third inning. 

The Upper Valley Nighthawks head to North Adams, MA tomorrow to take on the SteepleCats, while the Keene SwampBats head to Sanford, ME to take on the Mainers. 

Box Score 

Vermont Mountaineers vs Marthas Vineyard Sharks

Final Score: Sharks 7, Mountaineers 1

Oak Bluffs, MA – The Marthas Vineyard Sharks continued their hot streak to pick up their fifth straight win on Thursday night against the Vermont Mountaineers. Both pitching staffs controlled the early innings, as the teams traded four scoreless innings, helped by starters Luke Deschenes (Seton Hill) and Jordan Paradis (UMass Dartmouth).

The Sharks finally broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth inning. Atlantic Coast Conference players powered the offensive effort, as Jackson Taylor (Clemson) delivered a two-out, two-RBI double to drive in Will Shaheen (Duke) and Will Bavaro (Florida State) for a 2-0 lead.

Marthas Vineyard broke the game open with a four-run sixth inning, highlighted by a two-run single from Bavaro and a wild pitch that allowed Griffin Crain (Louisville) to score. Vermont got on the board in the top of the seventh when Bryce Rudisill (Mount St. Mary's) scored on an RBI double by Nick Mullen (George Washington). The Sharks capped the scoring in the bottom of the frame when Madux Iovinelli (High Point) scored on a balk.

Michael Devenney (Tulane) earned the victory in relief for the Sharks, while Matthew Kahn (Villanova) took the loss for the Mountaineers. 

The Sharks travel to Cardines Field to play the Newport Gulls, while the Mountaineers visit the North Shore Navigators at Fraser Field. 

Box Score

Mystic Schooners vs Newport Gulls 

Final Score: Schooners 13, Gulls 12

One of the wildest games so far this season, the Mystic Schooners outlasted the Newport Gulls, 13-12, surviving a late Newport rally in an offensive shootout that featured 27 total hits, multiple lead changes, and clutched performances. 

Mystic struck first and built an early advantage behind timely hitting throughout its lineup. The Schooners erupted for 13 runs on 13 hits, powered by a monster night from Jamie Zee (Notre Dame), who went 3-for-6 with five RBIs, consistently delivering in key situations. Devin Russell (Maryland) matched Zee's production, finishing 2-for-5 with five RBIs, including a pivotal two-run double that helped Mystic maintain control.

The Schooners also received big contributions from Anthony Ruggiero (Northeastern), who had a spectacular 4-for-4 performance with three runs scored, while Casey Wensley (Bryant) provided power with a two-hit night that included a home run, three runs scored, and an RBI. Jack Harley (Stetson) chipped in with an RBI and two walks, and Joel Collado (Rhode Island) added an RBI single as Mystic's lineup kept the pressure on Newport pitching all night.

Despite falling behind, the Gulls refused to go away. Newport answered with a relentless offensive attack of its own, collecting 14 hits and 12 runs. Leading the charge was second baseman Tristan Salinas (Rutgers-New Brunswick), who went 4-for-6 with two RBIs, consistently setting the tone at the plate. Cade Brown (Georgia Tech) delivered one of Newport's biggest performances, finishing 1-for-4 with two RBIs and three walks, while Cole Johnson (Austin Peay) scored twice and drove in a run.

The middle of the Gulls' order also came through. Gus Gandy (Samford) recorded two hits and an RBI, Maddox Haley (Gonzaga) contributed two hits and an RBI, and Adam Broski (Michigan St.) added an RBI while scoring twice. Devan Zirwas (Eastern Michigan) opened the scoring for Newport with an RBI, and Braxton Tramel (East Carolina) contributed both an RBI and a sacrifice fly. Even with the deficit, Newport continued to chip away inning after inning, threatening to complete an improbable comeback.

On the mound, neither team had an easy night. For Newport, relievers Jake Gregor (Louisville and Will Allen (South Florida) combined to stabilize things temporarily, while John Mass (Boston College) absorbed the loss after Mystic's offense broke through in the middle innings.

Mystic's pitching staff bent but never broke. Starter Harrison Engle (Fairfield) allowed just one earned run over 3.2 innings before turning the ball over to a busy bullpen. Connor Lane (UConn) provided an important bridge effort with five strikeouts, and although Newport mounted one final push, Robert Ogg (Rollins) recorded the final outs to earn the victory and secure the one-run win.

The Mystic Schooners will face the Valley Blue Sox Friday night at home. The Newport Gulls will travel home to play against the Martha Vineyard Sharks, Friday Night. 

Box Score

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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.