Late Rally Lifts Upper Valley, Keene Walks Off Split in Thursday NECBL Action
North Adams, MA – Thursday night across the NECBL featured another dramatic comeback as Upper Valley erased a five-run deficit to defeat Ocean State, while Keene salvaged a doubleheader split with a walk-off victory over North Shore. Elsewhere, Bristol rolled past Mystic behind another strong pitching performance, and Sanford's offense stayed hot in a high-scoring win over Danbury.
North Shore Navigators vs. Keene Swamp Bats (Game One)
Final Score: Navigators 4, Swamp Bats 3
Keene, NH - The North Shore Navigators and Keene Swamp Bats split the doubleheader, as the Navs took game one, while the Swamp Bats took game two. Both teams displayed some great power, belting six home runs over the course of both contests.
Maddix Simpson (Ohio St.) started the scoring in the bottom of the second with his first home run of the season to put North Shore up 1-0. Jackson Marshall (UConn) did one better in the top of the third and ripped a two-run double to give the Swamp Bats the lead 2-1. Hunter Kingsbury (Bryant) one-upped that in the bottom half with a three-run homer, his second long ball of the season.
Gian Gamelli (Notre Dame) got the win, going 5.2 innings. Thomas Mahoney (Northeastern) came in during the sixth to get the final out, before shutting Keene down 1-2-3 to record the four-out save. Jack Davis (UNC Asheville) took the loss for Keene, allowing all-four runs in his three innings.
North Shore Navigators vs. Keene Swamp Bats (Game Two)
Final Score: Swamp Bats 3, Navigators 2
Anderson French (Dallas Baptist) lined an RBI double to right field to get the scoring started in the third inning. Keene responded right back in the form of a Chris Polemeni (UConn) solo home run in the bottom of the fourth. Once again, North Shore took the lead right back with a solo shot of their own, this time from Tyler Shulman (Harvard).
However, with a runner on second, Jackson Smith (Cincinnati) became the hero, blasting a two-run home run in the seventh and final inning to walk it off. Robert Gilchrist (UConn) took the win for Keene, pitching 1.1 innings without allowing a run. Jack Zimmerman (Dayton) took the loss for allowing the walk-off.
The Swamp Bats will head up to Montpelier Recreational Field to take on the Vermont Mountaineers on Thursday evening. The Navs will head back home as the Martha's Vineyard Sharks will pay them a visit on Thursday.
Bristol Blues vs Mystic Schooners
Final Score: Blues 9, Schooners 1
Groton, CT- The Blues ran away with a win against the Schooners on Thursday night in a game that seemed like it was going to be a pitcher's duel early on.
It was a pitcher's duel going into the fourth inning. Mystic's starter, Ashton Arroyo (Georgetown), had only given up three hits in the first three innings, until the Blues struck in the fourth. Westin Boyle (Purdue) ended the scoreless game, giving the Blues the first run of the game, scoring Scott Gell (Stony Brook) on an RBI single. Colin Crowley (Winthrop) followed close behind, crushing a three run home run in the next at bat. Boyle and Crowley went right back to it in the top of the sixth, when Boyle walked followed by a double by Crowley. Gell decided they weren't done yet, and added two more runs for the Blues on an RBI triple in the top of the seventh. Nick Flores (VCU) and Jack Balcer (Quinnipiac) also had strong games at the plate for Bristol, both going two for four at the plate.
The Schooners got on the board in the bottom of the seventh on a bases loaded RBI single by Anthony Belisario (Portal) scoring Jack Harley (Stetson) from third. Unfortunately for the Schooners, the Blues pitching dominated.
The Blues' starter, Hudson Cavallo (West Virginia), went 5.2 innings, allowing only three hits with five strikeouts. Sam Michel (Northwestern) was strong out of the bullpen, going one inning and allowing only one hit, as well as Brycen Diaz (Elms College), who went one inning allowing no hits.
The Blues look to carry this momentum into tomorrow as they head to MacKenzie Stadium to take on the Valley Blue Sox, while the Schooners look to bounce back as they host the Danbury Westerners.
Upper Valley Nighthawks vs Ocean State Waves
Final Score: Nighthawks 10, Waves 6
South Kingstown, R.I – A huge late-game rally pushed the Upper Valley Nighthawks to a 10-6 comeback victory over the Ocean State Waves on Thursday night.
The Waves jumped out to an early lead, scoring three times in the second inning after a bases-loaded walk by Jack LaRose (Vernon College) and a two-RBI single from Kalen Applefield (Cal).
Ocean State extended the lead to 5-0 in the third inning after LaRose was hit by a pitch and Adonis Medina (URI) drew a walk, both with the bases loaded.
However, the Nighthawks offense woke up in the fifth inning with an RBI single from Alejandro Puig (Dartmouth), then RBI singles from Cameron Boardman (Hartford) and Charley Magoulick (Rider) in the sixth, then took over the game with a six-run streak in the seventh.
Anthony Greco (William & Mary) ignited the explosion with a solo home run, and Magoulick capped the frame with a three-run home run to right field. Boardman added insurance with an RBI single in the eighth.
Gabriel Milano (UMiami) attempted a comeback for the Waves in the bottom of the ninth with an RBI double, but that was the only run they could score.
The Nighthawks will host the North Adams Steeplecats tomorrow night, while the Waves face the Newport Gulls in a Rhode Island faceoff.
Sanford Mainers vs Danbury Westerners
Final Score: Westerners 14, Mainers 9
Danbury, CT- The Danbury Westerners dropped a back-and-forth battle to the Sanford Mainers on Wednesday, falling 14-9 to slip to 5-10 on the season while Sanford improved to 12-5.
The Mainers' offense was relentless, racking up 15 hits and 14 runs against a Danbury pitching staff that struggled all night. Jackson Sirois (Maryland) led the charge, going 3-for-5 with a home run, double, three runs scored, and four RBIs. Catcher Domenico Tozzi (Coastal Carolina) was equally punishing, collecting two hits in six at-bats with a home run and four RBIs of his own. Nick Zampieron (Stony Brook) and Jack Tate (Saint Johns) each added home runs to put the game out of reach.
Sanford starter Drew Smith (UConn) was the story on the mound, cruising through five innings with nine strikeouts, two hits allowed, and just one earned run to earn the win and move to 2-0.
Danbury showed some fight, getting home runs from Collin Mowry (Louisville) and Matthew Manjooran (Davidson), while Jack Edmunds (Denison U) went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Bennett Crerar (Princeton) chipped in two RBIs from the three hole.
However, Westerners starter Glenn Smith (Richmond) (L, 0-3) couldn't keep Sanford at bay, allowing six hits and three earned runs in just three innings, and the bullpen couldn't stop the bleeding from there.
Danbury plays tomorrow night against the Mystic Schooners. Sanford will return on Saturday night against the Vermont Mountaineers.
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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.
