The Bristol Blues' bats were scorching hot on Tuesday night, dominating the Martha's Vineyard Sharks 14-7 at Vineyard Baseball Park.

J.T. Landwehr's (Portland) second start of the season was a short one, as the right-hander went just three innings with four earned runs and three strikeouts. Will Burns (Harvard) earned the win out of the bullpen, going two and two thirds innings with just one run and three strikeouts. Quinn Sotero (Trinity) and Carson Renner (Penn State) each pitched one and two-thirds innings, allowing no runs towards the end of the game.

After the Sharks wasted no time getting on the board with runs in the first, the Blues responded in the second with an RBI double from Trevor Hansen (Manhattan) to cut the lead in half. Trailing 3-1 in the top of the third, a fielder's choice from Thomas Ahlers (Kenne State) and a sacrifice fly from Gianno Merlonghi (Central Connecticut) tied the game. The Sharks, however, had another immediate response to retake the lead and make it 4-3.

Bristol would take their first lead of the game in the top of the fourth, with Hansen providing a fielder's choice and Nate Lincoln (Marist) cashing in with a go-ahead two-run single. Leading 5-4 in the top half of the fifth, the Blues would plate three runs to extend the lead to four. 

After missing a month of the season due to injury, Dean O' Neill (Maine) clubbed his second home run of the summer, a solo shot, to give the Blues a 12-5 lead. 

Lincoln's bases-loaded walk and Mika Peterson's (Brown) run-scoring single gave Bristol 14 runs on the night, along with a nine-run lead in the top of the eighth. Lincoln led the Blues in RBIs on the night with three. 

Bristol improved to 21-12 on the season, leading the Newport Gulls by one game in the South Division. The Blues will welcome the Valley Blue Sox to Muzzy Field on Wednesday night for the team's next game. First pitch is set for 6:30 on NECBL+, with the Blues seeking to extend their lead in the division. 

Written by Gavin Murray 

Photo by Holly Gustavsen