SOUTH DIVISION: 

Valley Blue Sox vs Danbury Westerners – Game One

Final Score/7: Danbury 6, Valley 4 

Danbury, CT – The Danbury Westerners defend their home field in game one of a Thursday doubleheader against the Valley Blues Sox, defeating Valley 6-4. 

The Blue Sox were the first to get on the board in the top of the first. Michael Elko (Richmond) started the scoring off by scampering home on a ball that skipped past the Danbury catcher. Wyatt Hunt (Monmouth) added another RBI with a sacrifice fly.
 

Danbury was quick to take the lead back in the bottom half of the first inning. Michael Iannazzo (Maryland College Park) was able to score after an error by the Valley defense, and Gabriel Tirado (UConn) added three more runs as he launched a deep ball that soared over the outfield wall for a home run. 

The teams then trade runs in the third inning. Valley scored first on a walk. Danbury responded when Jack Lutte (Denison) raced home, beating the pitcher to the plate, for the run on a wild pitch. Danbury was able to keep the Blue Sox at bay as the teams traded more runs in the fifth inning. 

Valley scored  in another walk, making the score 5-4. The Westerners were able to answer that run with another run by Jack Lutte, who sent the ball over the fence for a solo home run. 

Danbury’s ace Cole Gibson (New Haven) was credited with the win while his fellow Westerner, Jackson DiLorenzo (East Carolina), was given the save. The Valley Blue Sox pitcher, Andrew Basel (Northeastern), was given the loss. 

Game Two was set to start 6:50 pm

Game One Box Score

Valley Blue Sox vs Danbury Westerners – Game Two

Final Score/7: Danbury 1, Valley 3

Danbury, CT – The Valley Blue Sox were able to steal game two from the Westerners, defeating the home team 3-1 behind a stellar bullpen performance that totaled eight strikeouts.

Just like the first game of this doubleheader, the Valley Blue Sox were able to snatch the lead first. Nicholas Spaventa (UPenn) added another home run to his season total with a solo home run in the top of the second inning. 

The Blue Sox added another home run in the top of the third as Hayden Perry (Samford) sent a ball soaring over the outfield fence. Valley continued scoring at the top of the fifth inning as  Michael Elko (Richmond) singled to drive home Hayden Perry, making the score 3-0. 

The Westerners were able to scratch back one run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Garrett Larsen (Yale) was able to cross the home plate on a sacrifice fly. However, that was the only run that Danbury was able to get across as the Valley pitching and defense were able to get the last three outs to take the win. 

The Valley pitcher Bryan Matuschat (Sacred Heart) was given the win, and his fellow Andrew Wertz (Salve Regina) was given the save. The Westerner’s ace  Nick Murphy (Central Connecticut State) was handed a loss on the season. 

The Westerners return to the diamond Friday night as they face the Keene SwampBats. The Valley Blue Sox will take a quick break as they get set to face the Sanford Mainers Saturday night. 

Game Two Box Score

Sanford Mainers vs. Ocean State Waves

Final Score: Sanford 12, Ocean State 2

South Kingstown, RI – The Sanford Mainers jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, defeating the Ocean State Waves in a convincing 12-2 rout.

Trey King (Georgia) and Luke Jenkins (UNC Greensboro) kicked off the scoring for the Mainers in the second, as each drew a bases-loaded walk to secure an early lead. Sanford would build on their two runs in the third inning with RBIs from Ryan Kolben (UMass) and Peter Keblinsky (Southern Maine), and again in the fourth with a three-run home run from Brennan Hudson (Georgia), his seventh bomb of the season.

Already leading 7-0, Sanford added another run in the fifth before Ocean State responded with a pair in the bottom of the frame. Domenico Tozzi (Coastal Carolina) added three RBIs for the Mainers as insurance, with a sacrifice fly in the sixth and a two-RBI ground rule double in the ninth. Keblinksy also added another RBI with the third bases-loaded walk of the game.

Despite equal contributions from the offense, as every Mainer reached base, the pitching staff was just as dominant. Connor Toriello (Salve Regina) got the start, going five innings, allowing just two hits while striking out two en route to earning the win. Jason Libby (Maine) and Ben Griffith (Binghamton) were also tremendous out of the bullpen. Going two innings each, both gave up just one hit while striking out three and four, respectively. Andrew Rogovic (Northeastern) was issued the loss for Ocean State.

Now .500 at 17-17, the Mainers sit in second place in the North Division as they still try to catch up to first-place Keene. They take on the North Adams SteepleCats in a big divisional matchup tomorrow at 6:30 pm. The Waves, meanwhile, fall to 15-18 on the season, dropping their third in a row. They look to bounce back tomorrow, hosting the Bristol Blues at 6:30 pm as well. 

Box Score

The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a wooden bat college summer league that fields teams in all six New England states. Partially funded by Major League Baseball, the New England League started play in 1994 and has sent over 230 alumni to the Major Leagues with nearly 30 alumni taken in the first round of the MLB Draft. For continuing coverage of the NECBL, visit NECBL.com and follow the league on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook.