LYNN, Mass. 一 The North Shore Navigators scored early and held on late to continue their recent winning ways, defeating the Coastal Division-leading Newport Gulls 4-3 in Thursday night’s New England Collegiate Baseball League action at Fraser Field.

North Shore is 17-22 and has now won six of its last eight games, including four straight for the first time since returning to the NECBL in 2021. Victories by Ocean State and Danbury leaves the Navigators 1.5 games back of the final wild card playoff spot. Newport, meanwhile, is 24-14.

Catcher Matt Chatelle (Rutgers) went 2-for-3 and scored a run while third baseman Tim McGuire (Sacred Heart) drove in a pair of runs to help lead the Navs, who made the most of five total hits in the ballgame. 

The biggest blow was an RBI triple by first baseman Andrew Bianco (Seton Hall) in the fourth inning, providing key insurance to the North Shore lead.

“We’ve turned things around a little bit. Now, we’re starting to win some of those close games,” North Shore manager Bob Macaluso said. “We’re making some plays, starting to get a big hit here and there. … I feel like we’re starting to make our breaks a little bit.”

All-Star righty Truman Pauley (Harvard) delivered another strong start for North Shore, allowing one unearned run on four hits while striking out eight across the first four innings and lowering his ERA to 2.16. Pauley has piled up 46 strikeouts in 25 innings this summer, the second-highest total in a single season in the franchise’s NECBL history.

After a one-hour, 26-minute delay due to field repairs, the North Shore bullpen turned in strong work of its own and preserved the victory. Ryan Griffin (Northeastern) earned his team-leading fourth win of the season after retiring nine straight batters entering the ninth inning, finishing with a pair of strikeouts.

“We had a lot of strikeouts tonight. Truman had another good start. We couldn’t come back with him because of the long delay. The stuff is legit. When he stays in the zone, he strikes guys out,” Macaluso said. “And then the bullpen was great.”

North Shore bounced back from being retired 1-2-3 against Newport starter Cole Cheatham (UAB) to start the game and never looked back after taking the early lead on the strength of a two-run, three-hit second inning.

Chatelle ripped a leadoff single over the pitcher’s mound and advanced across the diamond on left fielder Jesse Jaconski’s (Penn State) double inside the right-field line. The consecutive hits set up the RBI opportunity for McGuire, who knocked a two-run single into center field to ensure his third multi-RBI performance in five games.

The Gulls made it a 2-1 game when designated hitter Nolan Stevens (Mississippi State) drew a two-out walk, advanced to third on an error following third baseman Dixon Williams’ (East Carolina) single to left, and scored on a wild pitch.

Stevens’ unearned run was the lone blemish against Pauley, who went on to work around a two-out infield hit and strike out the side in the last of his four-inning start.

North Shore added two insurance runs during a fourth inning that was interrupted by the lengthy delay. Second baseman Danny MacDougall (Endicott) drew a leadoff walk and advanced on McGuire’s sacrifice bunt before the delay. 

Once play resumed, Bianco ripped a run-scoring triple past diving Newport center fielder Niko Brini (Wofford) that plated MacDougall and came in to score on a wild pitch himself. 

“When we got going again, we were ready,” Macaluso said. “That was a big hit.”

Jack Volo (Georgetown) worked the fifth, dealing four strikeouts while working out of a bases-loaded jam. Griffin followed by fanning batters in both the seventh and eighth innings, but was eventually charged with a pair of runs on a two-run single by Williams in the ninth.

Peabody native Ryan Bradley (Rutgers) beared down with two runners on base, dialing up a strikeout of Newport right fielder Tyler Hare (Wofford) before shortstop Reece Moroney (Rhode Island) made a highlight play up the middle to take a potential game-tying hit away from his counterpart Randy Seymour (Michigan State) and end the game.

The hosts were unable to extend their lead after Bianco’s triple, as Drew DeLucia (Franklin Pierce) allowed just one hit over his last four frames from the Newport bullpen. Cheatham took his second loss against North Shore after giving up three runs on three hits in 3.1 innings.

The Navs continue their five-game divisional stretch on Friday night when they travel to Groton, Conn., to face the Mystic Schooners for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch at Fitch High School.