A busy seven game slate gave fans some great competition on Tuesday night in the NECBL. North Shore swept their doubleheader against Vermont. The bats came alive  for Upper Valley with an 11-run performance against Sanford. North Adams scored early and held off Keene for the win. Valley and Danbury both had great pitching performances that powered them over Newport and Ocean State. Bristol exploded for 14 runs against Martha’s Vineyard.

South Division

Ocean State Waves vs Danbury Westerners

Final Score: Danbury 1, Ocean State 0

Danbury, CT – Who doesn’t love a classic NECBL pitchers' duel? With only five combined hits across the nine innings, both the Danbury Westerners and Ocean State Waves had a tough time breaking through. All it took was a solo home run in the second off the bat of Will Cook (Sacred Heart) to give the Westerners a gritty 1-0 win.

Despite giving up the bomb to Cook, Ocean State starter Cole Richardson (Southern Miss) was still phenomenal. The long ball was the only hit he gave up in three innings, but unfortunately could not get help from his offense due to a stellar performance by his counterpart Joshua Suriago (West Virginia). Suriago went six scoreless innings, striking out five, while only giving up a lone base hit in the third. He earned the win on the day, while Andrew Koshy (Maryland) picked up the save with three Ks in two innings of relief.

After scoring 15 runs against South Division leading Newport, Ocean State gets shut out while only recording two hits against last place Danbury. But that’s just baseball, as the Waves look to return to form as they take on the Gulls again tomorrow at 6:35 pm and aim to build upon their 15-16 record. The Westerners secure the win after dropping three of their last four, and improve to 12-16. They’re on the road tomorrow, taking on the Mystic Schooners at 6:30 pm. 

Box Score 

Newport Gulls vs. Valley Blue Sox

Final Score: Valley 2, Newport 1

Holyoke, MA- The Blue Sox hosted the Gulls for a matchup dominated by two NECBL All-Star pitchers. Finbar O’Brien (Gonzaga) and Beau Elson (Fordham) battled it out on the mound, both collecting five strikeouts each. O’Brien recorded five of Newport’s seven punchouts, while Elson counted for five of Valley’s twelve. 

In the top of the first, Adam Agresti (St John’s) got the Gulls on the board first when he hit a single, scoring Michael Gupton (Memphis) to put Newport up 1-0. In the bottom of the inning, Michael Elko (Richmond) scored on a Sebastian Mexico (Louisiana- Lafayette) groundout to tie the game at one apiece. 

In the bottom of the sixth, Chris Carson (Stony Brook) broke the game open when he hit a single, driving in Andrew Loikits (Wofford) to give the Blue Sox the lead at 2-1. That was all Valley would need as the pitching staff kept the game in control on top of clutch hitting. 

Valley improves to 14-16, while Newport remains at number two in the South Division, sitting at 20-13. 

You can view the box score here

Martha’s Vineyard Sharks vs Bristol Blues

Final Score: Sharks 7, Blues 14

Oak Bluffs, MA – The Bristol Blues came into Martha’s Vineyard on Tuesday night and defeated the Sharks in a high-scoring 14-7 win. The Blues' consistent run support eventually pulled out in front and gave them sole possession of first place in the South Division.

Martha’s Vineyard scored two runs in the first inning. Will Hampton (Vanderbilt) got the scoring action started with an RBI groundout, allowing Brayden Martin (Maryland) to cross home. In the next at bat, a wild pitch allowed Carter Bentley (Northeastern) to make the score 2-0.

Bristol got on the board in the second inning, with Trevor Hansen ripping a double that scored Gianno Merlonghi (Central Connecticut St). In the bottom of the inning the Sharks responded when Bentley drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-1. In the top of the third, Thomas Ahlers (Keene St) hit into a fielder’s choice to score one run and Merlonghi hit a sac fly to tie the game up 3-3.

A Hunter High (Tennessee) RBI single in the bottom made it 4-3 Martha’s Vineyard, but that lead didn’t last long. In the fourth Scott Gell (Stony Brook) tied the game for Bristol with a solo shot, and Mikael Petersen (Brown) gave them the lead with a sac fly. The Blues added on three more in the fifth with Trevor Hansen (Manhattan) hitting into a fielder’s choice and Nate Lincoln’s (Marist College) two-RBI single. Brady Krzciok (Central Michigan) got a run back for the Sharks with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning, but it was all Bristol from here.

The Blues scored three more runs in the top of the sixth with Ahlers scoring on a wild pitch, to go with RBI singles from Gell and Luke Nomura (Fairfield). Dean O’Neill (Maine) joined the RBI party for Bristol in the seventh as he drove himself in with a solo shot. In the eighth, Lincoln and Peterson added RBIs from a walk and single to make it 14-5. Martha’s Vineyard added two more to their total in the bottom of the inning on a Bentley RBI single and a William Lybrook (Harvard) RBI groundout.

Will Burns (Harvard) got the win for Bristol, tossing 2.2 innings of one run ball. Aidan Dowd (Fordham) took home the loss for the Sharks after allowing four runs in three innings of work. The Blues will take on the Valley Blue Sox on Wednesday evening, while Martha’s Vineyard will host the Sanford Mainers Wednesday afternoon.

Box Score