LYNN, Mass. — The North Shore Navigators dropped their third straight home game 3-2 to the Keene SwampBats in New England Collegiate Baseball League action on Tuesday at Fraser Field.

North Shore slipped a half-game back of the top spot in the tight Coastal Division standings at 5-5, while Keene improved to 8-4.

The Navigators looked to complete a second straight late-inning comeback in the ninth, but they were unable to replicate Monday’s comeback at Newport and fell just short in the final frame.

Right fielder Jesse Jaconski (Penn State) went 2-for-2 with the lone RBI for the North Shore offense.

The matchup was the second in the season series between the SwampBats and the Navigators, as the two teams met back in Keene on June 5. The Navigators dropped the game 6-4, but sought to use their late-inning comeback on Monday as momentum heading into Tuesday’s contest.

In the prior matchup between the SwampBats and the Navigators, the SwampBats opened the scoring in the second inning. Game two between the two teams saw a similar pattern as Alex Calarco (Maryland) ripped a double into the left-center field gap, scoring Aaron Graber (Delaware) from first base to open the scoring. Calarco then doubled the lead later in the inning, scoring on a wild pitch.

After the Navigators clawed back in the third inning, the SwampBats used a bases-loaded situation to their advantage. That allowed Josh Kross (Cincinnati) to slap a sacrifice fly ball down the left-field line, leaving shortstop Luke Orfi (Georgia Highlands) with a tough throw in shallow left field. 

But starting pitcher Zach Gleason (Stonehill) limited the damage to just one run in the fifth inning, giving the Navigators a chance for another come-from-behind victory. Gleason pitched five strong innings for the Navigators, surrendering just three runs and doing most of his damage by inducing weak contact.

The bullpen backed up Gleason’s strong performance as Jack Volo (Georgetown), Pierce Friedman (Stonehill), Ryan Bradley (Bryant) and Joe Castrichini (Stonehill) combined for four scoreless frames. 

After a two-run second inning, the Navigators would answer in the following inning as Jaconski roped a two-out base hit into left field, scoring Brady Dever (Brown) from third. In the ensuing at-bat, a perfectly executed delayed steal allowed Danny MacDougall (Endicott) to score from third and even the game at two.

Dever finished his Monday with a monstrous three-run home run to right field as part of a seven-run eighth inning. Dever continued his momentum into Tuesday’s contest, reaching base safely in two of his four at-bats and scoring once.

“I think it kind of carried even in from the game beforehand where I came off the bench and hit a double,” Dever said of carrying his momentum from Monday’s game into Tuesday’s game. “It's just stacking good at-bats and then knowing things will start going your way.”

The Navs will look to use their day off on Wednesday to regroup ahead of another home game on Thursday against the Sanford Mainers. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.