Strong Relief Not Enough as Navs Fall on Independence Day

SANFORD, Maine — The North Shore Navigators could not overcome a pair of big innings in a 16-3 loss to the Sanford Mainers in Saturday night's New England Collegiate Baseball League action at Goodall Park. 

Designated hitter Daniel Leikus (Rhode Island) went 2-for-5 with an RBI while shortstop Hudson Ellis (Oral Roberts) and catcher Aidan Sengenberger (Seton Hall) both reached base three times to lead North Shore, which slipped to 11-13 on the season. 

While Sanford scored eight runs in both the first and third innings, the Navs' relief trio of Cam Freeman (Longwood), Bobby Finn (Villanova) and Peabody native Michael Geissler (Northern Essex CC) combined to throw five innings of shutout ball to finish the game. Finn and Geissler both struck out three across back-to-back two-inning stints.

Catcher Ryan Kolben (UMass) highlighted both of Sanford's scoring innings, knocking a two-run double just past the dive of the North Shore infield in the first before capping the third with a grand slam to left.

First baseman Maddix Simpson (Ohio State) got the North Shore offense started with a leadoff double off the very top of the left-field wall in the second. After moving to third on third baseman Simmi Whitehill's (Monmouth) ground ball, Simpson crossed the plate on a wild pitch.

After Sanford starter Andrew Middleton (Maryland) exited after four innings of one-run ball, the Navs got back on the scoreboard with single runs in the fifth and sixth. 

In the fifth, Sengenberger drew a leadoff walk before shortstop Hudson Ellis (Oral Roberts) earned a free pass two batters later. Leikus delivered North Shore's second RBI, knocking a two-out single off the third base bag to score Sengenberger from second.

Pinch-hitting outfielders Grant Hunter (Binghamton) and Danny Flynn (Northeastern) were hit by pitches in back-to-back plate appearances with two outs in the visitors' half of the sixth. Sengenberger then walked to load the bases, and second baseman Jack Rickheim (Harvard) worked another walk to force home a run.

Freeman benefited from Rickheim and Simpson teaming up for a line-drive double play for the first two outs of the fourth and then ended the inning with a strikeout. He also struck out a pair to help him work through the fifth.

Finn followed with a second scoreless outing to begin his North Shore career, including the lone 1-2-3 frame in the sixth.

The Navs got two aboard in both the eighth and ninth innings. In the eighth, the Danvers native Flynn stung a two-out double to deep center before taking third on a passed ball, but after a Sengenberger walk, the inning ended without any damage done. Geissler did well to strand two Mainers on base in the latter half of the same frame.

Ellis walked and Leikus hit an infield single to give the Navs two on with one out in the ninth.

Kolben drove in six runs on his two extra-base hits and Michael Bradshaw (Merrimack) earned the win following two innings of one-hit, shutout relief for Sanford.

Returning home to bookend the holiday weekend, the Navs host the Ocean State Waves for a Sunday afternoon matinee at Fraser Field. First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m., with free admission for all fans.