Doubleheader Split, Late Comebacks Highlight Thursday NECBL Action
North Adams, MA – Thursday night across the NECBL featured a split doubleheader, late rallies, and another offensive outburst. Mystic and Danbury split a twin bill, with the Westerners responding to a Game One loss by scoring 15 runs in the nightcap. Elsewhere, Keene erupted for 14 runs to defeat North Adams, Newport edged Bristol in a one-run battle, and Valley held off Ocean State's late comeback.
Danbury Westerners vs. Mystic Schooners (Game One)
Final Score: Schooners 6, Westerners 4
Danbury, CT - The Danbury Westerners split their double header with the Mystic Schooners on Thursday night.
Sam Gettinger (Hofstra) broke the scoreless tie with a two-run single in the second to put Danbury up 2-0. The Schooners broke through in the fifth with an Anthony Ruggiero (Northeastern) two run blast to tie the game. A Gavin O'Brien (Northeastern) RBI double in the sixth gave Mystic the lead, before Thomas O'Connell (Virginia) drove in a pair of runs with a double to go up 5-2.
Mystic added one more in the top of the seventh via a solo shot from Justin Best (Manhattan). Despite the Westerners getting two back in the bottom half with a Gavin Donohue (Sacred Heart) two-run homer, that's all they could muster.
Connor Shaw (San Diego St.) took the win for Mystic with one shutout inning out of the bullpen. Cole Gibson (New Haven) took the loss after allowing three runs on five hits in his inning of work.
Danbury Westerners vs. Mystic Schooners (Game Two)
Final Score: Westerners 15, Schooners
Danbury, CT – Danbury snatched the lead in the bottom of the first with a sac fly from Ryan Preisano (Wake Forest). Mystic went and got two in the top of the second with a two-run homer from O'Brien. Donohue tied it back up in the bottom half with a bases-loaded walk.
Two batters later, Gavin Donohue (Sacred Heart) knocked a two-run single up the middle to go up 4-2. Jack Lutte (Denison) added a three-run homer. Two batters later, Jack Edmunds (Brown) added a two-run blast to cap off an eight-run inning.
Although Jack Harley (Stetson) got one back for Mystic in the third, G. Donohue got it right back plus one with a two-run homer in the bottom half. Lutte drove in two more with a single in the fourth, pairing that with a wild pitch to go up 15-3 through four innings.
Back-to-back homers from Mystic in the fifth got it to the final score. Teagan Beames (Quinnipiac) got the win with one shutout inning. Ashton Arroyo (Georgetown) took the loss, allowing four runs in 1.1 innings.
Danbury has Friday night off, before a double header against the Upper Valley Nighthawks. The Schooners have Friday night off as well, before they take on the Ocean State Waves in their barn.
North Adams SteepleCats vs Keene SwampBats
Finals Score: Keene 14, SteepleCats 6
Keene, NH- An explosive eight run seventh inning gives the SwampBats the advantage over the SteepleCats Thursday night.
The SwampBats had a big day at the plate, scoring fourteen runs off of fourteen hits and one error. They started with four runs in the bottom of the second on two singles by Micah Kendrick (Louisiana Lafayette) and Charlie Meglio (Rutgers). They added two more in the sixth on a double to left by Eli Stephens (Georgia Tech) and a sacrifice fly from Dylan Fitzsimmons (St. John's).
The SwampBat offense then exploded in the eighth inning, scoring eight runs. Nico Senese (Georgia Southern) started it off with a two run homerun, followed by a RBI single by T.J. Schuyler (Georgia Southern). Gavin Speirs and Griffin Enis (Virginia) then walked to bring in two more runs. Kendrick and Meglio each had an additional RBI after that. Senese finished the eighth inning scoring with a double to center and another RBI.
The SteepleCats were able to score six runs of their own, four coming in the fifth inning. John Heitzman (Portal) and Nelphie Lopez (Portal) both homered in the inning. Matthew Colella (Lafayette) also had an RBI in the inning. Unfortunately the SteepleCats were unable to catch up to the SwampBats offense.
The SwampBats look to keep the momentum going as they head to Cardines Field to take on the Newport Gulls tomorrow. The SteepleCats will have the day off as they head home to Joe Wolfe Field and prepare to host the Martha's Vineyard Sharks on Saturday.
Newport Gulls vs Bristol Blues
Final Score: Gulls 3, Blues 2
Bristol, CT — The Newport Gulls held off the Bristol Blues, 3-2, at Muzzy Field on Thursday, scoring a go-ahead run in the top of the seventh that survived a late Bristol push. Joe Barbarino (Fairleigh Dickinson) earned the win with four hitless relief innings, and Bryce Koch (Campbell) closed it out over the final three frames for the save.
Newport spread nine hits through its lineup. Gus Gandy (Samford) went 2-for-4 with a walk, and Colby Wallace (East Carolina) added two doubles in a 2-for-5 night. Mason Ligenza (Pittsburgh) drove in the team's first two runs, including a bases-loaded walk that scored Devan Zirwas (Coastal Carolina) in the first.
Bristol answered much of the night. Christopher DiPrima (Yale) doubled home a run in the first and finished 1-for-4 with an RBI, while Antonio Ducatelli (Fairfield) reached, scored, and stole a base leading off. Sean Britt (St. John's) drove in Bristol's other run, and Nick Flores (VCU) and Evan Menzel (UConn) each added hits — but a costly error by Nicholas Francuzenko (Towson) opened the door for Newport's decisive run.
Hudson Cavallo (West Virginia) started for Bristol and went three innings before Alex Hwang (Yale) threw three scoreless frames. Samuel Schmidt (Missouri) took the loss, and James Mulvaney (Fairfield) closed it out. Parker Rhodes started for Newport before Barbarino and Koch finished the job.
Bristol faces Valley Friday; Newport plays Keene.
Valley Blue Sox vs Ocean State Waves
Final Score: Blue Sox 6, Waves 5
Holyoke, MA – The Valley Blue Sox held off a late-game rally from the Ocean State Waves to secure a 6-5 victory at home on Thursday.
The Blue Sox broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning when Nick Spaventa (Penn) lined an RBI single to center, driving in Ryan Frontera (Seton Hall).
The game blew open in the sixth as Valley struck for five runs.
Joshua Toole (George Mason) sparked the surge with an RBI single, followed by a bases-loaded walk from Trey Spees (Western Carolina).
An RBI fielder's choice by Frontera and defensive miscues by the Waves allowed three more runs to cross, pushing the advantage to 6-0.
Ocean State refused to go quietly, mounting a furious comeback. In the seventh, Samuel Fernandez (Stetson) belted a three-run home run to cut the deficit to half.
Fernandez struck again in the eighth, ripping a two-run double to deep right field to pull the Waves within one.
However, the Valley pitching staff locked in during the ninth to preserve the narrow lead.
The Blue Sox hope to stay hot as they travel to Muzzy Field to face the Bristol Blues tomorrow, while the Waves take on the Martha's Vineyard Sharks at the Shark Tank.
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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.
