The NECBL Daily Rundown - 7/30/22 - Mystic Mounts Massive Comeback, Secures #5 Seed

Published on July 31, 2022 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) News Release

Mystic Schooners 8 - Ocean State Waves 7

W - Ken Turner 1-1 (Bryant): 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

L - Dom Cunha 0-2 (Fordham): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Old Mountain Field in Kingston, R.I. - The Mystic Schooners (23-21) clinched a playoff spot with a comeback victory over the Ocean State Waves (21-23).

The Schooners were down 7-2 in the top of the ninth inning with a chance to secure a wild card spot in jeopardy. Kevin Ferrer (Connecticut) led off with a walk, then Addison Kopack (Rhode Island) hit a 2-run home run to cut the deficit to three. Eddie Micheletti (George Washington), Michael Bello (Auburn), and Charlie Pagliarini (Fairfield) walked to load the bases. On a full count with two outs, Jackson DeJohn (St. Bonaventure) hit a single to right-center field. Micheletti and Bello scored, and after the throw to home plate got by the catcher, Pagliarini scored the tying run.

Mystic's Ken Turner threw a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the ninth to force the game into extra innings. In the top of the tenth inning, Kevin Ferrer flew out and moved the runner to third base. Addison Kopack drove the runner in on a groundout. In the bottom of the tenth inning, Turner induced a pop out and a fly out, then got the third out on a groundout to secure the victory.

The Waves had some very impressive individual performances. Khyree Miller (Winthrop) hit two 2-run home runs, and Joseph Sheets (Columbia) went 6.1 innings while allowing just one run, one walk, and striking out six batters.

The Schooners will be the No. 5 seed in the NECBL playoffs.

Sanford Mainers 6 - Vermont Mountaineers 0

W - Bryce Afthim 5-1 (Southern Maine) 9 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

L - Christopher Kahler 2-2 (George Washington) 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Montpelier Recreation Field in V.T. - The Sanford Mainers (21-22) kept their season alive with a win over the Vermont Mountaineers (32-12).

The Mainers came out firing with solo home runs in the first inning by Quinn McDaniel (Maine Orono) and Jake Rainess (Maine Orono). Sanford kept the long ball going in the third inning when a solo shot from Calvin Hewitt (Vanderbilt) made it 3-0. In the fifth, Alex Knapp (George Mason) got in one the fun with a two-run home run to make it 5-0 Sanford. The Mainers scored their final run of the game in the eighth on an RBI off the bat of David Bermudez (Manhattan). Meanwhile on the mound, Bryce Afthim delivered a gutsy performance when the team needed him most, going the distance and shutting down the Mountaineers offense for the complete game shutout. The top performer for Vermont was leadoff hitter Tyler Cox (Dartmouth) who went 3-4.

The Mainers will play their final game of the regular season at home against the Keene Swamp Bats on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. If they win, they will clinch the No. 6 seed in the playoffs. Vermont finishes its historic regular season tied with the Bristol Blues for the best record in the NECBL. Vermont will hold the No. 1 seed in the playoffs based on tiebreakers.

Winnipesaukee Muskrats 4 - Keene Swamp Bats 2 (DH, 7 innings)

Game 1:

W - Patrick Harrington 3-0 (Northeastern): 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K

L - John Mikolaicyk 0-2 (Hofstra): 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

S - Brenden Aldridge 1 (Rhode Island College): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Keene Swamp Bats 5 - Winnipesaukee Muskrats 1 (DH, 7 innings)

Game 2:

W - Noah Lewis 3-2 (Maine): 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

L - Ryan Dee 2-2 (Hartford): 2.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER (5 R), 1 BB, 0 K

Robbie Mills Sports Complex in Laconia, N.H. - The Winnipesaukee Muskrats (19-23) and Keene Swamp Bats (17-26) split a doubleheader thanks to great starting pitching.

Game 1: Winnipesaukee starter Patrick Harrington (Northeastern) was lights out against Keene's lineup. The right-hander pitched six innings of one run ball. He gave up just three hits, walked none and struck out a staggering nine Swamp Bats. Harrington lasted until the final inning and earned the win.

Winnipesaukee scored first in the fourth inning off a Cristian Mercedes (Southern New Hampshire) solo shot. The Muskrats added three more in the fifth through a hit by pitch and two walks. Keene finally got on the board in the top of the sixth when Tyler McKenzie (Vanderbilt) went yard for a solo homer. The Swamp Bats cut the deficit to two in the seventh via a bases loaded walk.

There were only six hits in the game with three coming from either side. Winnipesaukee designated hitter Randy Flores (Stony Brook) was the only player with a multi-hit game.

Game 2: This time, it was Keene's starter that shined. Righty Noah Lewis (Maine) went six strong innings, giving up just one run and two hits. Lewis also allowed three walks and struck out five Muskrats. The Swamp Bat held his composure on multiple occasions, stranding runners in scoring position. He gave up the only two hits Winnipesaukee mustered and earned the win.

Keene scored all five of its runs in the second inning. Singles from James Broderick (Wake Forest) and Brandon Anderson (Louisville), a Jackson Ross (Florida Atlantic) RBI, an error and a wild pitch plated the five Swamp Bat runs. Winnipesaukee added its only run of game two in the bottom of the sixth off a Brady Day (Kansas St) solo home run.

Three different Swamp Bats all had multi-hit contests, with Brandon Anderson, Tyler McKenzie and James Broderick all tallying two hits. Each team made three errors.

Winnipesaukee has a doubleheader against Upper Valley (19-23) today starting at 1:00 p.m. Keene finishes its season on the road against Sanford (21-22) at 2:00 p.m.

Bristol Blues 3 - Danbury Westerners 1

W - Tommy Hughes 2-0 (Southern Connecticut State) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

L - Jack Bowery 4-1 (Marist) 2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

S - Peter Phillips (Southern Connecticut State) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Rogers Park in Danbury, CT - The Bristol Blues (32-12) concluded their regular season with a victory over the Danbury Westerners (21-22). The Westerners scored the game's first run in the bottom of the third when Michael Becchetti (Fairfield) came around to score on an error from Bristol. The game remained 1-0 through the first five innings as Danbury starter Braden Quinn (UConn) pitched a stellar five shutout innings with only two hits allowed and seven strikeouts. After Quinn's departure, Bristol tied the game in the sixth on an RBI double from Billy Sullivan (Southern Connecticut State). The Blues took the lead in the seventh on a two run double from Tyler Fote (Central Connecticut State). Bristol's bullpen combination of Matt Smith (Southern Connecticut State), Tommy Hughes, (Michael Thomas Morrissey (Bryant), Cole Hansen (Seton Hall), and Peter Phillips kept the Danbury offense at bay with six hitless innings to finish the game.

Bristol finishes its historic regular season tied with the Vermont Mountaineers for the best record in the NECBL. Bristol will hold the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. The Westerners will play their final game of the regular season at home against the North Shore Navigators on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. They need a win and a Sanford loss to make the playoffs.

North Adams SteepleCats 10 - Valley Blue Sox 2

W - Andrew Neff 1-0 (Cincinnati): 6.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K

L - Justin Pacheco 0-1: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K

Joe Wolfe Field in North Adams, MA - The North Adams SteepleCats (11-33) defeated the Valley Blue Sox (16-28) by the score of 10-2.

The scoring started in the bottom of the second inning after North Adams's Ryan Galanie (Wofford) and Ryan Magdic (Florida Southern) each hit doubles to bring in the first run of the game. The SteepleCats scored another run in the inning after taking three walks. North Adams started the bottom of the third inning with three consecutive singles by Cedric Rose (UMass Lowell), Ryan Galanie, and Dixon Black (Monmouth), with Black's single driving in a run to make it 3-0. Ryan Galanie (Wofford) hit an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, with two on and two out, Galanie hit a 3-run home run to make it 7-0. Valley's Michael Casaleggio (Palm Beach Atlantic) and Stephen Luttazi (UMass Amherst) responded in the top of the seventh inning with a pair of RBI singles. In the bottom of the seventh inning, North Adams scored a run on a passed ball and two more runs were scored on a Vincent Bianchina (Northwestern) 2-run double.

Along with the SteepleCats' offensive barrage, their starting pitcher Andrew Neff threw six no-hit innings with seven strikeouts.

Martha's Vineyard Sharks 15 - North Shore Navigators 2

W - Jacob Weaver 2-0 (Austin Peay State): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K

L - Nathaniel Esplein 0-2 (Dayton): 4.2 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

S - James Sashin 1 (San Diego): 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

The Shark Tank in Oak Bluffs, MA - The Martha's Vineyard Sharks (29-15) defeated the North Shore Navigators (13-30) in an offensive explosion.

The game was scoreless for four and a half innings before the Sharks struck. Matthew Maloney (Dayton) led off with a single. With two out and Maloney on third, Danny Crossen (Northeastern) was intentionally walked. Harrison Brown (Austin Peay State) hit an RBI single, then Michael Snyder (Washington) walked to load the bases. Logan Chambers (Tennessee) hit a 2-run single, then Jadyn Jackson (Georgia Tech) hit an RBI single.

The Navigators responded with two runs in the top of the sixth inning. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Michael Snyder hit an RBI double and later scored on a passed ball to make it 7-2 Martha's Vineyard.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Harrison Brown took an RBI walk, then the Sharks scored three runs off an error to make it 11-2. Jadyn Jackson hit an RBI double, then Luke Masiuk (Northeastern) hit a 2-run double. Derek Berg (U.S. Military Academy) hit an RBI single to make it 15-2.

The Sharks will be the No. 4 seed in the NECBL playoffs.

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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 31, 2022

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