Luke Bakula's Sac Fly Caps Late-Inning Comeback as Bay Sox Defeat

Published on July 16, 2017 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
New Bedford Bay Sox News Release


When Andrew Tumbelty came to Paul Walsh Field on Saturday night, he probably never envisioned scoring the winning run in an extra-inning thriller.

Tumbelty (Rider), who has been one of the best arms in the New Bedford Bay Sox bullpen, scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Luke Bakula (Kansas) in a 4-3, 10-inning comeback win over the Mystic Schooners in the second game of a doubleheader.

The Bay Sox trailed 3-0 entering the bottom of the eighth inning, but scored twice in the eighth, once in the ninth, and walked it off in the tenth for their fifth win in their last seven games.

James Taubl (Sacred Heart) was spectacular in relief, tossing five innings to earn his first win of the season. Taubl struck out four and allowed just one run in by far his longest appearance of the year, which was desperately needed with the amount of games that his team will be logging in the next few days.

After taking the first game of the "doubleheader" - Game 1 was a continuation of June 13th suspended contest - the Schooners gained an early 1-0 lead. Leadoff hitter Nick Mascelli struck an infield single to deep third. He moved to second on a stolen base, and progressed to third after the throw from catcher Nick Matera (Rutgers) ended up in center field. He scored on a wild pitch from Matera's Scarlet Knights teammate Fino Brito, who made his fourth start of the season on Saturday night.

Mystic starter Kevin Chandler was very impressive during the early stages of his start, as he was one ball away from an immaculate inning in the second, with three strikeouts on just 10 pitches.

The Schooners tacked on another run in the fourth inning, as reigning NECBL Player of the Week Tommy Jew continued his hot hitting, leading off with a hard single to left field. He stole second base and scored on a one-out single by Phil Capra. Capra was joined on the bases by Ryan Solomon, who doubled, but the Mystic duo was stranded by Brito thanks to a strikeout and a grounder to Bakula at third.

The Bay Sox got their first runners in scoring position in the bottom of the fourth, but left the bases loaded. Matera led off with a single, and after two straight Ks, Nick Neville (Notre Dame) singled and Karsten Sherman (Keiser) reached on an error by Capra at first base. Zachary Scott (St. Leo's) struck a sharp liner to center field, but Jew tracked it down to record the final out and keep the Bay Sox off the scoreboard.

Brito tossed five innings of two-run ball, with a season high eight strikeouts and no walks in his strong outing. He was replaced in the sixth by Taubl, who allowed two hits and a run on an RBI single by catcher Matt O'Neill.

A single from Mike Martinez (Rutgers) ended Chandler's night in the sixth, and he was replaced on the hill by Jared Gallagher. Gallagher retired the final two batters in the sixth, but ran into a bit of trouble in the seventh. With two down, Dante Baldelli (Boston College) reached base for the third time on the night with his second walk, and Bakula followed with a gap shot to center field. Baldelli was aggressively sent home by manager/third base coach Kyle Fernandes, but was gunned down at the plate after a great throw home by Mascelli.

With some fireworks going off in the sky overlooking center field, the Bay Sox got to reliever Logan Lessard for consecutive one-out walks by Dan Schock (Sacred Heart) and Martinez. Adam Goss came in, and followed suit, walking Neville to load the bases, and Sherman to plate the first New Bedford run in either game. Mystic closer Turner French struck out pinch hitter Chandler Debrosse (Central Connecticut State), but Corey Joyce (North Carolina Central) drove in Martinez with a slow roller up the third base line that was fielded by French. Baldelli flied out to deep center to leave three ducks in the pond.

New Bedford scratched across the tying run in the bottom of the ninth, and had the potential game-winning run tagged out at the plate. Back-to-back singles by Matera and Schock put runners on first and second, and they each moved closer to a victory on a wild pitch. Neville struck a two-out single up the middle, scoring Matera, but Schock was gunned down at home by a cannon of a throw from Jew in center.

Sherman led off the tenth with a single, and Jordan Fucci (Samford) followed with a walk. Joyce attempted to move the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, but Sherman should have been retired at third. The throw from reliever Connor Lewis to third was dropped by Buddy Dewaine Jr., which loaded the bases with no outs. Baldelli fouled out to the first baseman, but Bakula sent the crowd home happy with his sac fly that plated Tumbelty.

Bakula's dramatics gave the Bay Sox their second walk-off win in as many nights, and allowed them to split the doubleheader with the Schooners. They will look to continue their solid play of late on Sunday night when they host the Keene Swamp Bats at 6:30pm.

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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 16, 2017


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