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Chatelle's Walk-Off Single Lifts Navs Past Sharks Thursday LYNN, Mass. — Backed by a ninth-inning walk-off, the North Shore Navigators defeated the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks on Thursday at Fraser Field in New England Collegiate Baseball League action. The win was North Shore’s second in the last three games and moves it to 11-15 on the season. Martha’s Vineyard is now 14-13. Down to his final strike and two outs, Matt Chatelle (Rutgers) sought to break the 1-1 tie and secure a win for the Navigators. He did just that, driving a blistering line drive into left field, scoring Brendan Jones (Holy Cross) from second base to secure the walk-off victory. “(Martha’s Vineyard pitcher Andrew Berg) was throwing a lot of breaking balls,” Chatelle said. “I took a bad swing on one and I knew I had to adjust with two strikes and not get too big and try to get a single and get the job done.” The win not only breaks a four-game home losing skid, but is crucial for a Navigators team that is chasing the final wild card spot. “It’s good to get a walk-off,” manager Bob Macaluso said. “We've been really struggling, and to get a win like that can really re-energize (the team).” Chatelle also shined behind the plate as the catcher threw out his 10th attempted base stealer of the season. “You’ve got to always be ready for him to steal,” Chatelle said. “If it's a guy that you know is fast on first base, you’ve got to be extra ready, and if you see him take off, I got Will Burns (Maine) or Andrew Bianco (Seton Hall) or whoever it is (at first base) … give me a good yell whenever he's running.” Similar to the prior game between the two teams, the Navigators claimed the game’s first run. Reece Mooney (Rhode Island) got on base via a free pass and used a passed ball to take second and third before scoring shortly after on a wild pitch. Isaac Kim (UC Santa Barbara) also produced in the first inning, recording an infield hit. The hit extends Kim’s hit streak to five games and marks his fifth hit in five games with the team. On the mound, Will Jones (Northeastern) continued to showcase why he is one of the top pitchers in the NECBL. The Hamilton native entered Thursday's game with an NECBL second-best 0.73 ERA and a fourth-best average against at .167. Jones continued to dazzle, throwing four no-hit innings before allowing his first earned run since June 20 in the fifth. The left-hander consistently worked ahead in counts, allowing him to induce a plethora of weak contact and strike out five batters through five innings. Jones has worked five or more innings in five outings this summer. After falling behind in the first inning, the Sharks tied the game in the fifth inning on weak contact. With two outs and a runner on second, JD Suarez (Charleston) broke his bat on an inside pitch but muscled an RBI between first baseman Bianco and right fielder Ryan Gerety (Northeastern) just inside the right field line. From there, the bullpen locked down the Sharks as Gloucester’s Zach Morris (Rhode Island), Ryan Griffin (Northeastern), Swampscott’s Pierce Friedman (Stonehill) and Peabody’s Joe Castrichini (Stonehill) all produced scoreless frames after Jones was relieved. Castrichini worked a 1-2-3 ninth to set up the chance to walk it off. The Navigators will make a quick stop in South Kingstown, R.I., on Friday to face Ocean State before returning home for a two-game homestand. First pitch on Friday is set for 6:30 p.m.
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