Blue Sox Snap Navs' Win Streak Friday

HOLYOKE, Mass. — The North Shore Navigators had the tying run in scoring position in both the seventh and ninth innings, but had their five-game win streak come to an end with a 4-3 loss to the Valley Blue Sox in Friday night's New England Collegiate Baseball League action at Mackenzie Stadium.

The loss was North Shore's (6-7) first since last Friday, ending its longest win streak since the beginning of the 2020 season. 

Byfield native center fielder Hunter Kingsbury (Bryant) was the pacesetter of North Shore's offense out of the No. 9 hole, going 4-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored. Kingsbury is the first Navs player since 2024 to record a four-hit game. Third baseman Maddix Simpson (Ohio State) doubled home a run and scored another as part of his 2-for-4 performance.

On the pitching side, Lynn native and former St. Mary's left-hander Josh Doney (UMass Lowell) pitched three innings of shutout, one-hit ball with three strikeouts. Three of North Shore's four relievers tossed scoreless outings. 

Two-out offense lifted North Shore to a first-inning lead, as Simpson knocked a two-out single to right, moved up to second on a passed ball and came around to score the opening run on Peabody native first baseman Danati Fronduto's (San Jacinto) base hit through the middle.

In the bottom of the first, Valley used back-to-back hits following a one-out walk and an error to jump into a 3-1 lead. Catcher Chris Cancel's (UConn) two-run single to left was the biggest blow of the frame, but a relay throw from left fielder Jack Rickheim (Harvard) to catcher Daniel Leikus (Rhode Island) cut down Cancel at the plate to limit the damage.

Kingsbury cracked a leadoff double into left to spark the Navs in the third. After Valley starter Dylan Reid (Brown) recorded the first two outs, Simpson recorded his second straight hit with an RBI double to center. 

After stranding a pair of two-out baserunners in relief of Newbury native and St. John's Prep grad Jack Sarno (Northern Essex CC) in the second, Doney retired six of the final seven batters he faced to set the stage for a tying run in the fifth.

Rickheim and Kingsbury started the frame with consecutive singles to left before right fielder Grayson Carpenter (Dayton) laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to the left side to advance both runners. With two in scoring position, shortstop Hudson Ellis (Oral Roberts) delivered a sacrifice fly to level the score at 3-3.

Valley took the lead for good in the last of the fifth, as third baseman Matt Wolfe (Middle Tennessee State) drew a bases-loaded walk. However, Peabody native and former Bishop Fenwick standout Michael Geissler (Southeastern) limited the damage, inducing an inning-ending groundout with the bases loaded.

Groveland's Ethan Hunt (Southern New Hampshire) put together his best relief outing of the summer, punching out four of the eight batters he faced across two scoreless innings. Navs returnee John Milewski (Brandeis) also tossed a scoreless frame.

The Navs did not go down without a fight. In the seventh, Kingsbury's one-out knock moved Rickheim up to second following a fielder's choice, but Valley reliever Jake LeFrancois (UMass Lowell) struck out back-to-back batters to end the threat.

After Blue Sox closer Jack Ensell (Miami) struck out the first two batters of the ninth, Kingsbury gave the Navs life with his two-out double over the head of the left fielder before a grounder ended the game.

Following a rare Saturday off, the Navs face another South Division opponent on Sunday when they visit the Ocean State Waves. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. at Old Mountain Field in South Kingstown, R.I.