SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. 一 The North Shore Navigators got back on the winning track with a 6-2 victory over the host Ocean State Waves in the second game of a New England Collegiate Baseball League doubleheader on Thursday night at Old Mountain Field.

North Shore broke a four-game losing streak and moved its record to 7-9 after taking a 1-0 loss in the first game of the twinbill. Ocean State is 9-8 on the summer and remains 1.5 games ahead of the Navs in the second-place position in the Coastal Division standings.

The Navs return to Fraser Field for three games in as many days, beginning at 6:05 p.m. Friday against the Danbury Westerners. The homestand also includes divisional games with the Newport Gulls on Saturday and Martha’s Vineyard Sharks on Sunday, both at 5:05 p.m. Sunday’s full day of festivities begin with the “Battle of the Badges II” as the Lynn Police and Fire Departments will face off in their first-ever charity softball game at 2:30 p.m.

Game 2: North Shore 6, Ocean State 2

Owen Tross (Middlebury) pitched the Navs to the game two victory, striking out seven while allowing just two runs on three hits across five innings. Ryan Griffin (Northeastern) and Peabody native Ryan Bradley (Bryant) each dealt a scoreless inning to finish the deal. Bradley’s close came in emphatic fashion as he worked around a two-out baserunner to strike out the side.

Second baseman Brendan Jones (Holy Cross) was the lone North Shore batter to record a hit in each game. Catcher Will Burns (Maine) and designated hitter Tim McGuire (Sacred Heart) each scored two runs to contribute to the victory.

In their game two victory, the Navs recorded just three base hits, but took advantage of free passes and the running game to add to their run total. 

Ocean State center fielder Aaron Walton’s (Arizona) RBI double plated the game’s first run in the bottom of the first, but North Shore then grabbed all of the offense it needed in a three-run second. The frame began with a Burns single through the right side sandwiched between walks to first baseman Andrew Bianco (Seton Hall) and McGuire. 

Jones drew ball four with the bases loaded to force in the first Navs run before shortstop Danny MacDougall (Endicott) beat out a double play ball for an RBI fielder’s choice. North Shore made it a 3-0 game as McGuire scored on the back end of a perfect double steal with MacDougall.

The Navs scored twice more without the benefit of a hit in the fourth, taking six walks from Ocean State reliever Andrew Jones (Rhode Island). Right fielder Jesse Jaconski (Penn State) and left fielder Brady Dever (Brown) were each passed with the bases juiced to make it a 5-1 game.

After Ocean State brought a run back in its half of the fourth, Burns walked and Jones hit a two-out knock to right, setting up another chance for the double steal at the end of North Shore’s fifth. Burns scampered home before the third out of the inning to equal the 6-2 final.

Tross finished his night with a 1-2-3 fifth before the bullpen duo took control, slamming the door shut with just one combined hit allowed through the final two innings. After allowingthe first-inning run, Tross fanned multiple batters in each of his next three frames.

Game 1: Ocean State 1, North Shore 0

Michael Caldon (Felician) pitched a game one gem for Ocean State, limiting the visitors to just four hits and striking out five across the first 6.1 innings. 

After Navs starter Josh Lajoie (Lipscomb) worked through a bases-loaded jam in the first and struck out two in a 1-2-3 second, his offense had a prime chance to open the scoring in the third. Catcher Ryan MacDougall (Dayton) knocked a one-out single to right and Jones walked, but Caldon stranded both after a wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position.

Ocean State went on to manufacture its only run on first baseman Donovan Cash’s (Kennesaw State) sacrifice fly to right in the bottom of the third.

Lajoie finished his first start of the summer with six strikeouts and just three hits allowed across four innings of one-run ball. Truman Pauley (Harvard) was strong in relief, fanning three while allowing one hit and one walk over the final two innings.

In the seventh, third baseman Pat D’Amico (Seton Hall) worked a leadoff walk against Caldon, and pinch runner Alex Luccini (UMass Lowell) stole second and advanced to third on Bianco’s groundout. Harrison Wilson (Winthrop) inherited two runners after McGuire walked, but ultimately stranded the bases loaded with a grounder to third after Jones was hit by a pitch.