LACONIA, NH – For the third straight game, the Valley Blue Sox played in a one-run, nail biter. This time, the result was different, with the Sox taking down the Winnipesaukee Muskrats, 6-5, on the road. Valley is now 2-4 in one-run games this season and 4-0 against Winnipesaukee. The Blue Sox have also won seven of their last ten games after a stretch where the team lost eight out of nine in the middle of the season.

The Blue Sox got going on offense early in this one. Facing a tough starter in Alex Schwartz, the Sox struck for two runs in the top of the first. In the opening half-inning of the game, Joe Lomuscio and Nate Monastra were driven in by Richard Constantine and Isaac Alexander, respectively. Schwartz came into the night with a 1.90 ERA that ranked fourth in the NECBL, but the Blue Sox gave him fits all night. The Felician College righty battled through seven innings, but allowed six runs (four earned).

For the first time this season, Tommy Costello got the start on the mound for the Blues. The lefty from Pacific threw two scoreless innings, allowing two hits, and notching a pair of strikeouts. Costello has pitched in three games against Winnipesaukee this season, firing four scoreless innings for manager John Raiola’s squad. In a scheduled bullpen day, the Blue Sox used five pitchers to get the 27 outs required to leave Robbie Mills Field with a victory.

In the top of the third, the Blue Sox added two runs to their lead. Carter Williams and Monastra each got on to start off the inning, and Constantine and Alexander once again brought them home. Both Valley infielders finished the night with two runs batted in, and Constantine, who finished the night 3-5, has his season RBI total up 28, which ranks fourth in the NECBL. The Western Kentucky first baseman also has seven home runs and is batting .367 in an All-Star worthy season.

The Blue Sox offense, led by Griffin Lockwood-Powell, kept the team ahead in the middle innings. Lockwood-Powell led off the fourth inning with a solo home run to right-center field, his first of the Summer, to make it 5-0 Sox. He followed that up with a lead-off double in the sixth, and was driven in on an RBI single by Joe Lomuscio. Lockwood-Powell finished the night 3-4, and Lomuscio went 3-5 to raise his season batting average to .444.

Hunter Waldis came on in relief of Costello and pitched a scoreless third inning. The Seton Hall righty has been a weapon out of the Blue Sox bullpen, coming into Tuesday’s game with a 1.17 ERA for the Summer season. However, Waldis ran into some trouble in the fourth, fifth and sixth, allowing at least one run to score in all three innings. Chad Minato was the offensive star for Winnipesaukee, finishing 3-5. Heading into the final three innings of the ballgame, it was 6-4 in favor of the Valley.

In the bottom of the seventh, Lucas Sweany worked himself into trouble. After the first two batters of the inning got on base, it was second and third for the Muskrats’ number three hitter, Sam Cochrane. The Eckerd College outfielder entered the game second in the NECBL with 31 RBI, and hit a home run in the fifth. However, Sweany got him and number four hitter Terrence Norman to each strike out, before wiggling out of the jam with a pop out to short to keep the Sox ahead by two.

In the eighth, Maddex Richardson entered from the Blue Sox bullpen and ran into some trouble. Winnipesaukee loaded the bases with one out and the top of the order was due up. In response, Raiola called upon right-hander Sean Hupp. The righty from South Carolina Upstate has not allowed an earned run all season. After giving up an infield single to the first man he faced, and one run to score, Hupp came up clutch and retired the next two hitters. Heading to the ninth, it was 6-5 Sox.

After a scoreless top of the ninth, Hupp came back out for the Blue Sox and shut the door for his first save of the season. Hupp has now thrown 13 scoreless innings for the Sox. With the win, the Valley improves to 15-13 this season, with 16 games remaining in the NECBL season. The Sox are 1.5 games out of a playoff spot, and 2.5 games out of first place. Next up is a crucial Northern division home game against the Keene Swamp Bats. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35pm Wednesday night at Mackenzie Stadium.

Recap by: Jake Graziano