North Division - Keene Clinches Top Seed, North Adams, Upper Valley Split Doubleheader
North Adams SteepleCats vs Upper Valley Nighthawks - Game One
Final Score/7: North Adams 4, Upper Valley 0
North Adams, MA – The first game back from the All-Star break saw the North Adams SteepleCats face the Upper Valley Nighthawks in a doubleheader. North Adams was able to shut out the Nighthawks, 4-0, to take the first game behind a six-strikeout performance from starter Tristian Helmick (Lafayette).
Nelphie Lopez (Stetson) was the first SteepleCat to enter a score in the stat sheet with an RBI single to right field in the top of the first. In the fourth inning, Owen Arias (Central Connecticut State) doubled to left field, driving in a run, bringing the lead to 2-0
The SteepleCats were then able to score in back-to-back innings with Robert Stang (Dayton), fresh off a home run derby appearance, smacking a ball for a solo home run in the sixth inning. This was followed by a sacrifice fly in the seventh to cap off the first NECBL game since the All-Star break.
Helmick was given the win while his fellow SteepleCat, Thomas Sullivan (Franklin Pierce), was issued a save after he relieved Helmick in the seventh. The Upper Valley pitcher, Tadan Bell (Coastal Carolina), was given he loss on the season.
The start of game two was set for 6:30 pm.
Upper Valley Nighthawks vs North Adams SteepleCats - Game Two
Final Score/7: Upper Valley 7, North Adams 3
North Adams, MA – The second game of the doubleheader between Upper Valley and North Adams did not disappoint, as the Nighthawks got their revenge, defeating the SteepleCats 8-3, registering 10 hits while only giving up three total hits all game.
The Nithghwask jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first inning. Cole Fellows (Columbia) was able to score after Nick Shuhet (Rider) reached first on a dropped third strike. Later in the inning, Ryan Presiano (Wake Forest) singled to drive home a run, and another run came in on a double play.
The Upper Valley lead did not last long as North Adams quickly tied the game up in the bottom of the first inning. Sean Stephenson (Iona) trotted up to home plate and rocketed a ball over the center field fence for a three-run homer.
The Night Hawks retook the lead in the top of the second with a sacrifice fly. The Nighthawks extended their lead in the fifth inning, adding three more runs. Matthew Dieguez (Fordham) lined a ball to left, driving in two runs. Anthony Brotz (Marist) added another RBI with a single to left field.
The Nighthawks defense was able to keep the SteepleCats scoreless for six innings, securing the win.
Upper Valley pitcher, Nick Tamburro (Monmouth), was given the win while his counterpart, Johnny Ruggiero Jr (Maryville), was handed a loss on the season.
The SteepleCats return to action Thursday as they face the Ocean State Waves in Rhode Island. The Upper Valley Nighthawks get set to face the Keene SwampBats Thursday night in Keene.
Sanford Mainers vs Keene SwampBats
Final Score: Keene 4, Sanford 3
Sanford, ME – The Keene SwampBats returned from the all-star break with a 4-3 win over the Sanford Mainers on Tuesday night. Keene’s winning streak is up to five now with the win, and they officially clinch the number one seed in the North Division with an impressive 27-11 record.
SwampBats’ starter Evan Chaffee and Mainers’ starter Connor Ball (Stetson) were both fantastic to begin this game. A good ol’ fashioned pitcher’s duel was underway at Goodall Park as a run wasn’t scored till the fifth inning. Chaffee finished his outing after five innings, allowing no hits, one run, and striking out two. Ball also pitched five innings, giving up six hits, but he didn’t allow a single run, while striking out four.
In the bottom of the fifth, Chaffee allowed his only run. Kyle Douin (Southern Maine) got the inning started by getting plunked and taking his base. After a flyout, Douin advanced to second on a wild pitch and ended up on third from a groundout. Then with two outs, another wild pitch allowed Douin to cross home and make it 1-0, Mainers.
Sanford kept the momentum going in the sixth inning, tacking on two more runs to their total. With Sam Miller (Binghamton) on second in scoring position, Luke Jenkins (North Carolina Greensboro) stepped up for the Mainers, as he launched a two-run homerun to make it 3-0.
The lead didn’t last long for Sanford, as Keene stormed back in the top of the seventh. TJ Schuyler (Indiana) got the inning started with a single. Andrew Bell (Duke) followed with a walk, and Ty Mainolfi (Boston College) loaded up the bases with a single himself. One batter later, Jack Herring (East Carolina) showed why he was named all-star game MVP when he ripped a two-RBI single. The next batter, Michael O’Brien (Arkansas), tripled to right, which scored Herring to tie the game. O’Brien came around to score on the next at bat off a wild pitch to put Keene on top.
The SwampBats were able to hold onto the win thanks to shutout innings from Andrew Lepine (Stetson) and Nate Bassett (Virginia), who got the win and the save. Ben Griffith (Binghamton) got the loss for Sanford. The Mainers will look to reset Wednesday when they travel to face the Newport Gulls. Keene hosts the North Shore Navigators on Wednesday as well as they try for six straight wins.
Newport Gulls vs. Vermont Mountaineers
Final Score: Newport 6, Vermont 4
Montpelier, VT – The Newport Gulls came into the capital of the Green Mountain State on Tuesday night and defeated the Vermont Mountaineers by a 6-4 score. Despite the loss, Vermont set an NECBL single-season record for most steals by a team in a single season. The Mountaineers entered Tuesday with 144 on the season, the same number the 2024 Sanford Mainers had during their record-breaking year. Conlan Daniel (Cincinnati) broke that record in the first inning, swiping his 24th bag of the season.
The Mountaineers capitalized on Daniel’s scoring position in the first, with Dominic Camera (Fairfield) bringing him home on an infield single. In the bottom of the third, Bennett Shealor (Gardner-Webb) got on with a single and Joey Pagano (St Joseph’s) followed with his own a batter later. Both runners advanced and came around to score on three wild pitches and gave Vermont a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth, Newport started to get the bats going. With one out, Colby Wallace (East Carolina) doubled to center. Randy Seymour (Michigan St) singled to make it first and third with one out. After Seymour stole second, the next hitter, Adam Agresti (St John’s), doubled to score both Wallace and Seymour to make it 3-2. The Gulls weren’t done just yet in the inning, with Kyle Branch (Oklahoma) and Petey Craska (North Alabama) both drawing walks to load the bases for Ryan Novak (Miami), who gave Newport the lead on a two-RBI single.
Two back-to-back hits from Matthew Minckler (Delaware) and Cristian Reyna (Messiah College) scored Minckler to tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh, but Newport ended up with the last laugh. The Gulls added two more runs in the top of the eighth off a clutch two out, two-RBI single from Branch, giving Newport a 6-4 lead which they held on to.
Aiden O'Connell (Vanderbilt) got the win for Newport, tossing four innings of one run ball in relief. Meanwhile, Luke Deschenes (Seton Hill) took home the loss for Vermont as he allowed two runs (one earned) in 4.2 innings of work. Jake Gregor (Louisville) was credited with the save for the Gulls as he completed two innings of shutout baseball to bring this game to a close.
Newport will host the Sanford Mainers on Wednesday afternoon, while Vermont will host the North Adams Steeplecats Wednesday evening.
Bristol Blues vs. North Shore Navigators
Final Score: Bristol 4, North Shore 2
Lynn, MA – The Navigators hosted the Blues for a heated matchup as the race for the playoffs intensifies. In the top of the first, Mikael Peterson (Brown) got things going right away when he drove in CJ Egrie (C of Holy Cross) to put Bristol up 1-0. Nater Wachter (UConn) fired right back for North Shore, driving in Jackson Powers (St Anselm) on a single to tie the game at one apiece. Ethan Wilson (Winthrop) followed up by driving in Wachter on a single of his own to give the Navigators the lead at 2-1.
In the top of the fourth, Alex Irizarry (Quinnipiac) led things off with a ground rule double, and was quickly driven in by Scott Gell (Stony Brook) on a double of his own to tie up the game at two apiece for Bristol.
