Sharks Sweep Mainers, Navigators Take Twin Bill in Wednesday NECBL Action
North Adams, MA – Wednesday night across the NECBL featured a pair of doubleheader sweeps as Martha's Vineyard took both games from North Division-leading Sanford and North Shore swept North Adams. Elsewhere, Newport outslugged Valley in a 21-run affair, Upper Valley outlasted Vermont in a Governors Cup slugfest, Bristol rolled past Ocean State, and Mystic earned a road victory over Keene.
Sanford Mainers vs. Martha's Vineyard Sharks (Game 1)
Game One Final Score: Sharks 5, Mainers 3
Sanford, ME - The Martha's Vineyard Sharks took both ends of their doubleheader against the Sanford Mainers on Wednesday night at the Shark Tank.
The scoring in game one started in the second inning, as an RBI single from Mainers third baseman Brian Connolly (Rhode Island (U of))), combined with a wild pitch, put the Mainers up 2-0. The response back from the Sharks came in the sixth, starting with a wild pitch from Sanford. Nick Rubino (Wake Forest) added a two-run single to go up 3-2.
Will Shaheen (Duke) provided an insurance run in the form of his first home run of the season, a solo shot to make it 4-2. However, Connolly came right back with his first homer of the season to bring it back within one run. Rubino added another run via a sac fly in the seventh, as Sanford went down 1-2-3 to end the game.
Landon O'Donnell (Portal) got the win with two shutout innings out of the bullpen with three strikeouts. Ian Mowad (St. John's) allowed three runs in his two innings, earning him the loss. Ryan Renfroe (Kennesaw St.) notched his fourth save of the season.
Sanford Mainers vs. Martha's Vineyard Sharks (Game 2)
Game Two Final Score: Sharks 2, Mainers 0
Sanford, ME - An error from Brooks Perez (Duke) at first base brought in the first run of game two for Martha's Vineyard in the first. Mason Scott (US Military Academy) added an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth to make it 2-0.
This pitcher's duel saw only six combined hits from both teams, with the Sharks pitching staff only surrendering six baserunners throughout the game. Ryan Gold (Kennesaw St.) got the win, going five innings and allowing one measly hit while striking out seven. Charlie Hale (UConn) took the loss for Sanford, allowing both runs in his four innings pitched. Ben Waterman (Lafayette) notched a two-inning save, his third save of the year.
Both teams have Thursday off, as Martha's Vineyard will head out to Connecticut for a matchup with the Mystic Schooners, and Sanford will head back home to take on the Danbury Westerners.
North Adams SteepleCats vs North Shore Navigators (Game 1)
Final Score: Navigators 4, SteepleCats 3
Lynn, MA- The Navigators take Game One of a double header on a walk off win in the bottom of the 8th inning Wednesday night.
After a quiet first few innings, the SteepleCats got on the board first on a sacrifice fly by Jack Espiritu Niswonger (Dartmouth) that scored Chris Diaz (Marist) from third in the top of the fourth. Diaz followed with a sacrifice fly of his own in the next inning, scoring Alex Barrist (Lafayette) from third.
The Navigators answered with two in the bottom of the inning on a two RBI single from Hunter Kingsbury (Bryant) to tie the game. A couple of wild pitches in the sixth and seventh innings kept the game tied at the end of seven innings. Hudson Ellis (Oral Roberts) had the walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth to score Lane Allen (High Point) for the win.
Justin Fryer (Northwestern) earned his first win, throwing a scoreless eighth inning allowing no hits and no walks. Liam Riordan (RPI) took the loss.
North Adams SteepleCats vs North Shore Navigators (Game 2)
Final Score: Navigators 3, SteepleCats 1
Lynn, MA- The Navigators take not only the double header sweep but the season sweep over the SteepleCats in Game Two Wednesday night.
Pitching was lights out for the Navigators in Game Two. Ethan Hunt () had the first complete game performance for the Navigators since the 2024 season. He threw all seven innings allowing no earned runs on five hits, one walk and six strikeouts.
Three runs in the fifth inning was all North Shore needed for the win. After a wild pitch that led to Tyler Shulman (Harvard) scoring from third, Anderson French (Dallas Baptist) hit an RBI single to right to score Jack Rickheim (Harvard) followed by a sacrifice fly by Hudson Ellis (Oral Roberts). French had a great game at the plate going two for two with a walk.
Nelphie Lopez () had an RBI triple in the top of the fifth inning for the SteepleCats, but that was all they could get against Hunt in Game Two.
The Navigators look to take this momentum into tomorrow as they head to Rogers Park to take on the Danbury Westerners, while the SteepleCats head home to Joe Wolfe Field to host the Valley Blue Sox.
Bristol Blues vs Ocean State Waves
Final Score: Blues 12, Waves 5
Bristol, CT- The Bristol Blues improved to 13-13 with a 12-5 win over the Ocean State Waves (8-17), jumping out to an early lead and never looking back. Bristol scored in four of its first five innings, putting up four runs in the first, one in the second, three in the fourth, and four more in the fifth to build a commanding lead.
Christopher DiPrima (Yale) led the Bristol offense, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and four RBIs, while Thomas Zwirecki (Rutgers) added two hits and drove in five runs of his own. Nick Flores (VCU) set the tone at the top of the order, reaching base four times and scoring four runs, and Antonio Ducatelli (Fairfield) chipped in a hit with three runs scored. Evan Menzel (UConn) and Nicholas Francuzenko (Towson U) each drove in a run as well.
For Ocean State, Jackson Bradfield (Kennesaw St) paced the lineup with three hits and two runs scored, and William Mahala (Virginia) went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Jack LaRose (URI) added a hit and scored twice, and Charlie Saul (Bryant) delivered a pinch-hit knock and run in the ninth as the Waves tried to rally late, plating two runs in the frame.
Hudson Cavallo (West Virginia U) picked up the win for Bristol, allowing three runs over four innings, and the bullpen trio of Frank Spirito (UConn), JD Costanzo (West Virginia U), and Sam Michel (Northwestern) closed it out.
Ocean State Waves will take a break and return on Friday July 10th to play against the Newport Gulls. Bristol Blues will also return Friday night to compete against the Valley Blue Sox.
Newport Gulls vs Valley Blue Sox
Final Score: Gulls 12, Blue Sox 9
Newport, RI- The Newport Gulls improved to 16-9-1 (11-6-1) with a wild 12-9 win over the Valley Blue Sox (9-13-1, 4-10-1) in a game that saw both offenses trade blows throughout. Valley grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the first two innings, but Newport answered right back and the two sides went back and forth the rest of the way, with the Gulls' five-run fifth inning proving decisive.
Maddox Haley (Gonzaga) was the story of the game for Newport, going 4-for-5 with two home runs, six RBIs, and two runs scored. Tristan Salinas (Rutgers U New Brunswick) added three hits and scored three runs, while Gus Gandy (Samford) went 2-for-5 with a homer, three RBIs, and two runs. Mason Ligenza (Pittsburgh) chipped in two RBIs, and Devan Zirwas (Eastern Michigan U) reached base multiple times and scored twice.
Valley Blue Sox got a strong effort from Chris Cancel (UConn), who went 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored, and an RBI. Trevor Harmon (San Francisco) and Jacob Dilley (UNC-Greensboro) each drove in two runs, and Matt Wolfe (Middle Tennessee) collected two hits and scored twice. Nick Tomasetto (Seton Hall) reached base four times, drawing three walks to go with a run scored and an RBI, and Anthony Grabau (Fordham) added a hit and a run. John Mass (BC) picked up the win for Newport out of the bullpen, working 1.1 scoreless innings, while Nate Schlote (Vanderbilt) started and allowed two runs over three innings.
The Valley Blue Sox will play against the North Adams SteepleCats Thursday night. The Newport Gulls will travel to compete against the Mystic Schooners.
Upper Valley Nighthawks vs Vermont Mountaineers
Final Score: Nighthawks 13, Mountaineers 10
Montpelier, VT – The Upper Valley Nighthawks outlasted the Vermont Mountaineers in a Game 4 of the Governors Cup, a high-scoring thriller on Wednesday night.
After three scoreless frames, Upper Valley broke the ice in the fourth with a sacrifice fly from Kyle Langley (James Madison) and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch from Alejandro Puig (Dartmouth).
Vermont responded immediately in the bottom half, surging ahead 3-2 after a triple by Vincent Davis (Winthrop).
The Nighthawks reclaimed the lead with a massive seven-run fifth inning. Frank Kelly (High Point) sparked the rally with a double, while Nick Quagliato (Boston College) delivered a crucial two-RBI double.
Tim Dickinson (St. Joseph's), William Hurt (Virginia Tech), and James Love (Eastern Illinois) added RBI singles, followed by run-scoring plays from Puig and Levi Jones (San Diego State) to make it 9-3.
Upper Valley extended the cushion to 12-3 in the sixth when Quagliato laced a single to center.
The Mountaineers refused to go quietly, exploding for five runs in the seventh behind a two-RBI double from Elliot Miles (UMass Boston) and an RBI single by Bryce Rudisill (Mount Saint Mary's).
David Alvarez (Eastern Kentucky) added a two-run single in the eighth to narrow the deficit to 12-10, although the Mountaineers could not mount a rally.
Alex Kelsey (Kentucky) provided an insurance RBI single for the Nighthawks in the ninth, sealing the victory.
The Nighthawks travel to Alumni Field to face the Keene Swampbats tomorrow, while the Mountaineers have a day off before a rematch with Upper Valley on Friday.
Keene Swamp Bats vs Mystic Schooners
Final Score: Schooners 5, Swamp Bats 2
Keene, NH – The Mystic Schooners defeated the Keene Swamp Bats 5-2 at Alumni Field on Wednesday night.
The visiting offense struck early in the top of the second inning, jumping out to a quick three-run lead against starter Aiden O'Connell (Duke). Anthony Belisario (Portal) cracked an RBI double down the left field line to spark the opening rally, followed by a sacrifice fly from Joel Collado (Rhode Island) and an RBI single from Jamie Zee (Notre Dame).
Mystic extended its advantage in the third inning when Belisario launched a two-run home run to center field, scoring Anthony Ruggiero (Northeastern) and widening the gap to five runs.
The Keene Swamp Bats attempted a comeback, getting on the scoreboard in the sixth inning when Jackson Marshall (UConn) lined an RBI single to right field to score college teammate Chris Polemeni (UConn).
The hosts capitalized on a passed ball in the eighth inning to score Jackson Smith (Cincinnati), but the rally stalled there.
Keene will try to snap their three-game losing streak tomorrow at home against the Upper Valley Nighthawks, while the Schooners face the Newport Gulls in a matchup between two neck-and-neck South Division teams.
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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.
