Baseball / Navs Beat Upper Valley Friday, Earning Key Win in Playoff Hunt

Navs Beat Upper Valley Friday, Earning Key Win in Playoff Hunt

Date:  Source: New England Collegiate Baseball League

LYNN, Mass. (July 25, 2025) 一 The North Shore Navigators picked up a crucial win in the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s (NECBL) North Division playoff race, holding on to defeat the visiting Upper Valley Nighthawks 5-4 on Friday night at Fraser Field.

 

Despite the Navs’ two-run rally in the fifth inning, Upper Valley came away with an earlier 9-6 win in the completion of a suspended game from July 17 in White River Junction, Vt. 

 

North Shore improved to 15-23 as a result of the split, remaining 1.5 games behind Upper Valley (17-22) for the fourth and final playoff spot in the North with six regular-season games remaining.

 

Center fielder Ethan Wilson (Winthrop) went 1-for-2 with two RBI, catcher Aidan Sengenberger (Seton Hall) scored twice, and right fielder Sam Parks (Stonehill) drove in two to lead North Shore, which received another solid six-inning start from Liam Kinneen (Princeton) in the seven-inning contest.

 

Kinneen allowed just one hit across five scoreless frames to begin his outing and finished allowing just two runs on four hits while striking out five. It was the Lexington native’s second win in as many starts after dealing five shutout innings of relief last Friday at Vermont.

 

The Navs opened the scoring without the benefit of a hit in the first, drawing three walks and a hit batter against Upper Valley reliever Drew Koenen (Virginia). Wilson drew the final free pass with two outs and the bases loaded to make it a 1-0 game.

 

First baseman Alex Marot (Charleston Southern) walked with one out and then stole second to start the North Shore offense in the third. After designated hitter Aukai Kea (Vanderbilt) earned his own walk, Wilson lined a two-out RBI single to center that doubled the score.

 

The hosts extended their lead to 4-0 in the fourth, as right fielder Sam Parks (Stonehill) lined a two-RBI single off the pitcher. Sengenberger drew a leadoff walk, and after shortstop Jack Rickheim (Harvard) laid down a bunt single, second baseman Simmi Whitehill (Monmouth) moved both runners into scoring position to set up the key hit.

 

Upper Valley second baseman Brooks Barber (Wabash Valley) lined a one-out triple into the right-field corner against Kinneen in the third. However, Rickheim turned an unassisted double play to help his starter escape the inning without any damage done.

 

The North Shore starter worked through a 1-2-3 fifth, but not without the help of Whitehill who made a diving stop in the hole to his left and threw over to Marot from the ground. 

 

Upper Valley broke the shutout bid on third baseman Michael Trommer’s (Bucknell) RBI grounder in the sixth, but the game became even more interesting after a pair of two-out runs were scored in the seventh. 

 

In the Nighthawks’ final at-bats, center fielder Anthony Brotz (Marist) hit a run-scoring single to left before Fellows lined a triple down the right-field line, putting the tying run 90 feet away from scoring. Ryan Griffin (Northeastern) then reared back to retire designated hitter Nick Shuhet (Rider) for his second strikeout of the inning and post his third save of the summer.

 

The July 17 game was suspended with Upper Valley leading 9-4 after four innings, but the Navs immediately scored a pair of fifth-inning runs when play resumed. Wilson and pinch hitter Kea knocked back-to-back singles with Kea’s hit to center plating a run. A wild pitch with Whitehill at the plate allowed Wilson to come in and score.

 

Kea finished 2-for-2 with an RBI. Left fielder Alec Welshans (La Salle) hit a first-inning RBI triple before persisting rain halted play last week and finished the game with two runs scored.

 

Jackson Powers (Saint Anselm) kept the Navs within striking distance, throwing two scoreless innings with a strikeout in his second pitching appearance of the summer. 

 

The Navs continue their weekend-long homestand on Saturday when they host the Sanford Mainers for a 5:05 p.m. first pitch. On Sunday, the Vermont Mountaineers will provide the opposition in a 1:35 p.m. matinee.