Six games on the docket for Thursday night, with 10 teams in action. Keene and Upper Valley split a doubleheader in White River Junction. The Steeplecats were able to capitalize on the Schooners' mistakes, taking down Mystic for their second straight win. Bristol’s early offense powered them to a close win over a scrappy Mainers squad. On a special night in Martha’s Vineyard, the Sharks win handily against the Navigators. A five-run third inning powered the Waves over the Westerners.

 

Mystic Schooners vs. North Adams SteepleCats

Final Score: Mystic 3, North Adams 4

 

North Adams, MA – The North Adams SteepleCats held off a ninth-inning comeback effort from the Mystic Schooners on Thursday, battling it out to secure the 4-3 victory. Mystic jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Anthony Belisario (UConn) led off the inning with a single and was driven home on a Nick Locurto (Virginia Tech) RBI. 

 

The Schooners held the one-run lead for six innings thanks to stellar pitching by Connor Gatwood (Auburn), Alex Hwang (Yale), and Jett Johnston (Auburn). Gatwood got the start and was phenomenal, striking out five SteepleCat batters through three innings without giving up a hit. Hwang got two innings in relief and only gave up one knock, while Johnston followed his college teammate and pitched an inning of no-hit ball himself. 

 

However, the SteepleCats’ bats woke up in the bottom of the seventh. A costly Schooners error got the lead-off man on for North Adams, followed by a walk and a Sean Stephenson (Iona) single to set up a bases loaded, no out situation. Nelphie Lopez (Stetson) delivered, singling to tie the game at one. Two more errors by the Schooners ended up giving the Steeplecats a lead. Two runs came around to score, making it 3-1 in favor of North Adams.

 

The SteepleCats weren’t done capitalizing on Schooner mistakes, as Stephenson reached on another error in the eighth and was brought home on another clutch hitting performance by Lopez. Lopez finished 3-4 with a double, securing three of his team’s five hits. 

 

Despite sloppy play in the field, Mystic wouldn’t go down without a fight. With no outs and runners on first and second, Eric Cha (Northeastern) delivered with a single, scoring one and keeping the Schooners alive. A second run was walked in, but with bases loaded and two outs, closer Thomas Sullivan (Franklin Pierce) remained composed, shutting the door and securing North Adams’ second straight victory.

 

The SteepleCats improve to 3-5 and host the Sanford Mainers at 6:30 Friday, while Mystic drops to .500 at 6-6 and gets the Newport Gulls at 6:35 Friday as well. 

 

Box Score

 

Bristol Blues Vs. Sanford Mainers

Final Score: Bristol 7, Sanford 6

 

Sanford, ME – Despite an early lead, Sanford dropped their eighth game of the season Thursday night, losing 7-6 to the Bristol Blues.

 

A Jack Toomey (Boston College) single in the bottom of the first scored Sanford’s first run, and they would follow it up with another RBI single in the second off the bat of Ryan Kolben (UMass). The Mainers held the two-run lead until the top of the fourth, when Bristol put up a four-spot on an RBI single from Joey DeMucci (Penn State) and RBIs from Luke Nomora (Fairfield) and Yeudy Ramirez (American International). DeMucci would finish the innings scoring, coming home on a hit by pitch. 

 

Bristol added three more in the top of the sixth, as a bases-clearing double by Jack Hopko (URI) put the Blues comfortably in front, 7-2.

 

Sanford would not go away easily, as they chipped away with runs in the sixth and seventh to cut the lead to three. In the bottom of the ninth, Sanford got two more runs on a balk and a  Charlie Jones (Georgia) RBI single, but the comeback was laid to rest as Bristol’s closing pitcher, Carson Renner (Penn State), struck out the final batter to earn himself the save and give his team the hard-fought victory.

 

With the win, the Blues improve to 9-4 while Sanford drops to 2-8. Both teams are back at it on the road tomorrow, as Sanford travels to North Adams and Bristol heads to Holyoke, MA, to take on the Valley Blue Sox. 

 

Box Score

 

Ocean State Waves vs. Danbury Westerners 

Final Score: Ocean State 8, Danbury 3

 

South Kingston, RI – The Waves dominated at home versus the Westerners Thursday night, with a huge third inning that saw the team rally for five runs. In the bottom of the first, Brandon DeGoti (U of Miami) got things started for the Waves with a sac fly to put them up 1-0. Danbury answered in the top of the second when Kevin Francella (William & Mary) reached first on a fielder’s choice, also driving in a run to tie the game at one apiece. 

 

The bottom of the third was huge for Ocean State. Gavin Gregor (Bryant) kicked things off with an RBI single to take back the lead, 2-1. Brandon DeGoti (U of Miami) kept his streak going with a two-run homer to put the Waves on top 4-1. Brandyn Durand (Bryant) scored on an error after a Ryan Gerety (Northeastern) bunt, which was followed by Kolton Reynolds (Arkansas Fayetteville) knocking in another insurance run to put Ocean State up 6-1 after three innings of play. 

 

In the bottom of the seventh, Ryan Gerety (Northeastern) scored on an error, putting the Waves up 7-1. In the bottom of the eighth, Brandyn Durand (Bryant) drove in a run on a fielder’s choice to further extend Ocean State’s lead, 8-1. 

 

In the top of the ninth, Aidan Paradine (Siena) would show some fight for Danbury when he hit a two-run home run, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Waves took the win 8-3. Waves’ starter Josh McDevitt (Missouri Columbia) collected six of his team’s thirteen strikeouts, allowing only one run to help secure the victory. 

 

Ocean State hosts the Sharks Friday at 6:30 p.m., while Danbury takes a day off before hosting Newport at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 21st. 

 

Box Score

 

Martha’s Vineyard Sharks vs. North Shore Navigators 

Final Score: Martha’s Vineyard 12, North Shore 0

 

Oak Bluffs, MA – The Sharks hosted the Navigators for a 50th anniversary tribute game for the 1975 smash-hit movie Jaws. Martha’s Vineyard assumed the role of the “Amity” Sharks and North Shore the “Quint” Navigators, to pay tribute to the Martha’s Vineyard classic. 

 

In the bottom of the second, Brayden Martin (Maryland- College Park) got it started with an RBI single, which was followed by a Carter Bentley (Northeastern) three-run home run to quickly put “Amity” up 4-0 after two innings. The very next inning, Will Hampton (Vanderbilt), Jacob Kendro (Pittsburgh), and Carter Bentley (Northeastern) all hit RBI singles to add three more insurance runs for “Amity.” Evan Appelwick (Miami of Ohio) walked in a run following the rally to put the Sharks up 8-0 after three. 

 

Not much would happen until the bottom of the eighth, which was a massive inning for the Sharks. Evan Appelwick (Miami of Ohio) kicked it off with a 378-foot moonshot, which was followed by William Lybrook (Yale) smacking an opposite-field home run over the right field wall. On the first pitch of his at-bat, Max Kaufer (South Carolina Columbia) hit a rocket over the left field wall, putting the Sharks up 11-0 after going back-to-back-to-back. “Amity” wasn’t done as Jacob Kendro (Pittsburgh) hit an RBI double to add another insurance run, making the score 12-0. 

 

Sharks pitching combined for ten punchouts, allowing no runs scored, and the offense was unstoppable, with Appelwick, Lybrook, and Kaufer going back-to-back-to-back, providing home fans with an exhilarating Jaws tribute night. 

 

The Sharks head to South Kingston tomorrow to take on the Waves at 6:30 p.m., and the Navigators head to Vermont to take on the Mountaineers at 6:30 p.m. as well. 

 

Box Score

 

Upper Valley Nighthawks vs Keene SwampBats - Game 1

Final Score: Nighthawks 5, SwampBats 10

White River Junction, VT – The Keene SwampBats jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in a 10-5 road win over the Upper Valley Nighthawks on Thursday afternoon at Maxfield Sports Complex. With the victory, Keene improved to a league-best 11-2 record and extended its great start to the year 

Keene wasted no time putting pressure on Upper Valley starter Tyler Hemmesch (Minnesota), scoring three runs in the top of the first. Xavier Perez (Houston) roped an RBI double, and Chandler Tuupo (Charleston Southern) followed with an RBI single. The Nighthawks quickly responded when Ryan Preisano (Wake Forest) launched a three-run homer in the bottom half to tie the game.

The SwampBats answered right back in the second, taking advantage of defensive miscues to put up three more runs. Dylan Cupp (Mississippi State) and Nicholas Romano (FAU) each delivered RBI groundouts, while Michael O’Brien (Arkansas) notched his second run scored of the game in as many innings. Keene added insurance in the middle frames with RBI doubles from Jack Herring (East Carolina) and Tuupo, stretching the lead to 9-5 by the sixth.

The SwampBats’ bullpen held strong the rest of the way, with Ben Dean