Mystic Explodes in the Ninth, North Shore Shuts Out SteepleCats
North Adams, MA – Saturday night across the NECBL featured late-game heroics and standout pitching performances. Mystic erupted for six runs in the ninth to rally past Ocean State, Sanford scored twice in the eighth to edge Vermont, and Newport held off a late Bristol comeback. Elsewhere, North Shore blanked North Adams behind a dominant staff effort, while Danbury earned a home victory over Valley.
North Shore Navigators vs North Adams SteepleCats
Final Score: Navigators 4, SteepleCats 0
The North Shore Navigators shut out the North Adams SteepleCats 4-0 on Saturday afternoon at Fraser Field behind a dominant pitching performance and timely offense. North Shore improved to 8-11, while North Adams dropped to 4-13.
The Navigators broke through in the fifth inning when Hunter Kingsbury (Bryant) laced a two-run triple to score Aidan Sengenberger (Seton Hall) and Simmi Whitehill (Monmouth). Grayson Carpenter (Dayton) followed with an RBI single later in the inning. Sengenberger finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Kingsbury drove in two runs.
North Shore's pitching staff stole the show. John Hegarty (Cornell) earned the win with five scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out four. Jack Zimmerman (Dayton), Koby Seelig (Columbia), Cameron Keaveney (Northeastern), and Cam Freeman (Longwood) combined to complete the two-hit shutout, as the staff totaled 10 strikeouts.
For North Adams, Evan Meier (Mt. St. Mary's) and Nelphie Lopez (Portal) recorded the team's only hits, with Lopez doubling. The SteepleCats drew four walks but stranded seven runners. Niklas Pavia (Portal) took the loss after allowing three earned runs over six innings while striking out six.
North Shore Navigators will compete against the North Adams SteepleCats Sunday afternoon for a double header.
Danbury Westerners vs. Valley Blue Sox
Final Score: Westerners 5, Blue Sox 2
Danbury, CT - The Danbury Westerners notch a 5-2 victory over the Valley Blue Sox on Saturday night.
The Westerners struck in the bottom of the first, as a Collin Mowry (Louisville) grounder got under the glove of Blue Sox third baseman Trey Spees (Western Carolina) to score a run. A wild pitch in the bottom of the third scored Noel Rivera (Portal) to make it 2-0 Westerners.
A Peter Link (Portal) solo shot in the bottom of the fifth extended the lead to three for Danbury. However, Anthony Grabau (Fordham) got it back in the top of the sixth with his fourth home run of the season to put Valley on the scoreboard. Additionally, Nick Tomasetto (Seton Hall) notched an RBI single to make it 3-2.
However, a wild pitch from Blue Sox reliever Owen Basso (Lafayette) plated another run for Danbury. Finally, a Gavin Donohue (Sacred Heart) bomb in the eighth inning put the dagger in the Blue Sox hearts.
Cole Gibson (New Haven (U of)) got his second win of the season, pitching five shutout innings while striking out four hitters. Andrew Oppenheimer (Trinity) took the loss, allowing three runs in his five innings of work.
The Westerners look ahead to a matchup on Sunday at Old Mountain Field versus the Ocean State Waves. Valley will head out to the Shark Tank to take on the Martha's Vineyard Sharks on Sunday.
Ocean State Waves vs. Mystic Schooners
Final Score: Schooners 8, Waves 3
South Kingstown, RI - The Mystic Schooners won 8-3 over the Ocean State Waves on Saturday night. Despite being down 3-2 entering the ninth, Mystic put up a whopping six runs in the top of the ninth to put the game away.
The scoring got started via an error from Waves shortstop Justin Hackett (Bryant) putting Mystic up 1-0 in the top of the second. Adonis Medina (Rhode Island (U of)) got it back in the bottom of the third with an RBI single. An RBI groundout from Camden Righi (UConn) gave the Schooners a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth.
Unfortunately for Mystic, Medina struck again in the top of the eighth. He launched a ball over the fence for his first home run of the season to tie the game. Samuel Fernandez (Stetson) added to it with an RBI double to take a 3-2 lead.
A Jamie Zee (Notre Dame) walk in the top of the ninth with the bases loaded tied the game at 3-3. Thomas O'Connell (Virginia) stepped up with the bases loaded, and beat out a double play ball, scoring one run, and brought a second run in thanks to a throwing error from Waves second baseman Gavin Marchese (Portal). A wild pitch brought in the fourth run of the inning and an RBI single from Anthony Belisario (Portal) put the finishing touches to a six-run ninth inning.
MJ Bollinger (Portal) got the win, pitching the final inning without giving up any runs. Bryant Yoak (West Virginia) took the loss, giving up all six runs in the ninth.
The Schooners have the day off before a Monday matchup with the Vermont Mountaineers in Montpelier. The Waves stay at home as the Danbury Westerners pay them a visit on Sunday.
Sanford Mainers vs Vermont Mountaineers
Final Score: Mainers 4, Mountaineers 2
Montpelier, VT – The Sanford Mainers rallied late to defeat the Vermont Mountaineers 4-2 at Baseball Drive on Saturday night.
After three scoreless frames, the Mountaineers broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth inning when Vincent Davis (Winthrop) launched a solo home run to left field.
Vermont extended its lead to 2-0 later in the inning as Sebastian Collender (Middle Georgia State) delivered an RBI single to score Elliot Miles (UMass Boston).
The Mainers responded immediately in the top of the fifth when Domenico Tozzi (Coastal Carolina) smashed a two-run homer to right field, tying the game at two runs each.
The game remained that way until the top of the eighth inning, when Sanford started their game-winning rally against Nick Kelly (Fairfield).
Nater Wachter (UConn) delivered the game-winning hit, a clutch two-RBI single to left field that brought home Sam Miller (Binghamton) and Jacob Harring (Salve Regina).
The Mainers look to add to their win streak on Monday against the Newport Gulls at Cardines Field, while the Mountaineers face the Upper Valley Nighthawks tomorrow at Maxfield Sports Complex.
Newport Gulls vs Bristol Blues
Final Score: Gulls 5, Blues
Bristol, CT – The Newport Gulls held off a late surge by the Bristol Blues to secure a 5-4 victory at Muzzy Field on Saturday night. The Gulls got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning when Gus Gandy (Samford) walked, stole second, and scored on an error.
Newport expanded their advantage to 2-0 in the third as Gandy doubled and crossed the plate on a groundout from Brandon Larson (USC).
Bristol responded in the bottom half when Antonio Ducatelli (Central Connecticut) doubled and later scored on a defensive miscue.
The Gulls answered immediately in the fourth, generating two runs via a Mason Ligenza (Pittsburgh) RBI single and an Adam Broski (Michigan State) sacrifice fly.
The Blues chipped away as Evan Menzel (UConn) hit an RBI single in the sixth. Down 4-2, Bristol threatened in the seventh, loading the bases, but Zane Stahl (Louisville) struck out Ducatelli to escape.
In the ninth, Gandy doubled and scored on a passed ball to add an insurance run which later won them the game.
Bristol rallied for two runs in the bottom of the frame on an Ducatell RBI groundout and a passed ball to score Menzel, but Mickey McClaskey (Gonzaga) struck out Scott Gell (Stony Brook) to close it.
Jake Lenahan (Holy Cross) earned the win, Liam Diehl (Towson) took the loss, and McClaskey secured the save.
The Gulls return home to host the first-place Sanford Mainers on Monday night, while the Blues host the Keene SwampBats tomorrow.
---
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.
