HOLYOKE, MA - Playing at home for the first time in six days, the Valley Blue Sox got the best of the Winnipesaukee Muskrats in a 10-2 win at Mackenzie Stadium. After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first, the Sox took control of the game with a three-run bottom of the first and never looked back. With the victory, Valley improved to 2-0 against Winnipesaukee this season.

Entering the game on a four-game losing streak, the night had an inauspicious start for the Sox. Starter Kevin Gould allowed a two-out, run-scoring single to Terence Norman, as the Muskrats went ahead 1-0. However, Norman looked to advance to second base, and a heads up throw by Blue Sox center fielder Joe Lomuscio stopped him in his tracks to end the threat.

In the bottom of the first, the Valley’s one through four hitters all reached base, a trend that would continue throughout the night, as the team struck for three runs to grab a 3-1 lead. Lomuscio and Carter Williams each got on with hits, and after Lomuscio was thrown out at home, Isaac Alexander walked to make it first and second for Richard Constantine. The right-handed hitting slugger then ripped a two-run double to give his team the lead, before scoring later in the frame on a sacrifice fly by Dakota Mulcay

From there, Gould responded by firing back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the second and third. The Endicott College righty allowed one more run in the fourth inning, but finished his night with five strong innings pitched, allowing two runs on four hits, with five strikeouts. It was the second start of the season for Gould after he began the year as a reliever for the Blue Sox. Gould’s season ERA now stands at 2.63 in 13.2 innings pitched across four games.

The Blue Sox added three more runs to their now one-run lead in the bottom of the fourth. Once again, it was the top of the Valley order doing the damage. Lomuscio singled, Williams tripled him home and Alexander hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-2. One batter later, Constantine struck again with his third home run off the season to the Sox bullpen in left. Valley’s top four hitters finished the night 9-15 with one home run, seven RBI and eight runs scored.

The offense wasn’t done just yet for the Blues, as the team scored four additional runs in the eighth. Following a single, three walks and a hit by pitch, Sox designated hitter Nate Monastra hit a ball down the left field line that hit off third base and went into the outfield for a two-run double. This gave the Sox a 10-2 lead and plenty of insurance to work with. The double drove home Lomuscio and Williams, who each went 3-4 on the night.

In the later innings, the Valley bullpen was dominant. Hunter Waldis, Sean Hupp and Tommy Costello combined to throw four scoreless innings. The three relievers allowed just four batters to reach base, giving up no runs, and registering five strikeouts. Waldis and Hupp have combined to throw 12.2 scoreless innings of out the Valley ‘pen this season and are turning into a nice late-inning duo for manager John Raiola.

The win snapped a four-game Valley losing streak and got the team out of a stretch where it had lost eight out of nine games. Now sitting at 9-10 on the season, the Sox are three games behind the North Adams SteepleCats in the NECBL Northern division. Next, the Sox welcome their divisional foe, the Keene Swamp Bats, into Mackenzie Stadium for an Independence Day showdown on Thursday at 5:05pm.