LYNN, Mass. — With two outs in the final inning, the North Shore Navigators had the winning run at the plate but were unable to complete the comeback as Landon White induced a game-ending pop-out to the catcher to keep the Blues undefeated. 

Backed by excellent pitching from both sides, the North Shore Navigators (2-2) fell 2-1 to the Bristol Blues (4-0) in New England Collegiate Baseball League action on Saturday at Fraser Field. 

The Navigators showcased excellent starting pitching in their last game at Fraser Field, and Owen Tross (Middlebury) continued that trend. The California native was one of Middlebury’s top starters this spring, finishing the season with a 4.82 ERA.

“It's all about how you prep throughout the week,” Tross said. “I got good notification from my coach, and I had six days to get my schedule set for the start.”

Tross featured excellent command and location throughout his outing, consistently inducing weak contact and allowing just three base runners through four scoreless innings.

“I thought he competed really well,” manager Bob Macaluso said. “He was mixing his pitches and putting the ball in play and we played pretty good defense behind him.”

When Tross was removed from the game in the fifth inning, the Blues immediately took advantage. With runners on second and third and one out, Brady Short (Central Connecticut State) smacked a two-run base hit into left field to give the Blues a 2-1 advantage.

Despite scoring in just one inning the two runs were all the Blues needed to down the Navigators and stay undefeated on the season.

The Navigators hit six doubles during Friday’s road win against the North Adams SteepleCats, and they continued to rack up extra-base hits in Saturday’s contest. An RBI double just out of the diving reach of right fielder Skye Selinsky (Columbia) by Reece Moroney (Rhode Island) scored Will Burns (Maine) from second base to break the scoreless tie in the third inning.

Moroney had a strong showing on Saturday, recording two hits and a walk while registering the only RBI for the Navigators.

“He’s one of the guys who has been hitting so far this year,” Macaluso said on Moroney’s performance. “He barrels balls up…and he’s been getting on base (so far).”

Ryan MacDougall (Dayton) also provided a multi-hit game for North Shore, going 2-for-4.

The Navigators will now head back on the road for another two-game road trip. They’ll start the trip on Sunday against the Upper Valley Nighthawks at 5 p.m. and wrap up on Tuesday against the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks.