Navs Pitching Sets Single-Game K's Record in Vermont

MONTPELIER, Vt. — A record-setting performance from the North Shore Navigators' pitching staff was not enough, as the host Vermont Mountaineers scratched across single runs in the fifth and sixth innings and held on for a 3-1 win in Sunday night's New England Collegiate Baseball League game at Montpelier Recreation Field.

Five North Shore pitchers combined to register 20 strikeouts, breaking a single-game franchise record that had stood since 2020. Wenham native Gian Gamelli (Notre Dame) led the way with eight across a three-inning relief outing.

Starter Thomas Mahoney (Northeastern) struck out the side in each of the first two innings while working around only a leadoff infield single in the second. Gamelli entered the game in the third and recorded eight of his nine outs by way of the strikeout, allowing only one run on three hits across the following three frames.

Lorcan Lee (UMass), Aidan Gelbsman (Boston College) and Cameron Keaveney (Northeastern) also fanned multiple batters in their summer debut appearances.

Offensively, first baseman Daniel Leikus (Rhode Island) reached base three times via a double and two walks. He came home with the lone North Shore run in the eighth, scoring on an error following third baseman Maddix Simpson's (Ohio State) fielder's choice groundout.

North Shore had something cooking right away in the first inning after right fielder Grayson Carpenter (Dayton) beat out a leadoff infield single and Leikus walked to put two runners on with nobody out. Incredibly, Vermont starter Ryan Brown (La Salle) worked out of the jam with three consecutive strikeouts.

After Mahoney set down the Mountaineers in back-to-back frames, Gamelli's first five outs were strikeouts. However, the hosts tagged him for a go-ahead run in the fifth when left fielder Matthew Minckler (Delaware) hit a leadoff single and stole second, third and home, coming home on the back end of a double steal with second baseman Brayden Leonard (Villanova).

In the sixth, right fielder Alex Benevento (Brown) laced a run-scoring triple into the left-center field gap to extend Vermont's lead to 2-0.

The back-to-back runs came after the Navs could not capitalize on two-out doubles by center fielder Danny Flynn (Northeastern) in the second and Leikus in the fifth. The latter threat was ended with two runners in scoring position, as Carpenter was hit by a pitch before Leikus roped his double to left.

North Shore climbed back within a run in the eighth. Leikus drew a leadoff walk and took second on a wild pitch before shortstop Michael Brown (Hofstra) reached on his own free pass. Following a strikeout, Simpson beat out a double play ball and forced a throwing error that allowed Leikus to cross home. 

Catcher Aidan Sengenberger (Seton Hall) followed Simpson's at-bat with a line drive to left field, but Minckler made an inning-ending sliding catch to keep Vermont in front. 

In the bottom half of the frame, Minckler drew a bases-loaded walk to extend the Mountaineer lead to 3-1. Keaveney then struck out back-to-back batters with the bases full to limit the damage.

Davis Budd (Western Carolina) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to record the save, closing out a win for Hank Lippman (William & Mary), who worked 2.1 innings of one-hit ball in middle relief. 

After taking their first off day of the summer on Monday, the Navs will return to Fraser Field for a Tuesday morning contest against the Sanford Mainers. First pitch is set for 11:05 a.m.