Navs' Comeback Bid Falls Short Thursday

By Jason Glick

LYNN, Mass. — The North Shore Navigators achieved their last two wins by prevailing in late innings. They had a five-run seventh-frame splurge against the Bristol Blues on July 12 before outscoring the Sanford Mainers 3-1 across the final four innings a week later.

On Thursday, the Navigators (18-20) scored three runs and blanked the Newport Gulls (23-15-1) over the last four innings, but couldn't avenge an early six-run deficit in a 7-4 loss in New England Collegiate Baseball League action at Fraser Field.

Left-handed reliever Bobby Finn (Villanova) struck out seven in three late scoreless innings. North Shore still had 11 hits to Newport's nine, with right fielder Grant Hunter (Binghamton) tying a single-game franchise record with three doubles and scoring three runs. Hunter scored twice on RBI singles by third baseman Tyler Shulman (Harvard).

The Gulls broke the scoring open in the first with four runs. Shortstop Gus Gandy (Samford) scored on a ground-rule double by center fielder David Zirwas (Coastal Carolina), who then crossed home on second baseman Caeden Cloud's (Kentucky) double. Then, left fielder Ryan Novak (Miami of Ohio) hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Cloud, and catcher Ernie Echevarria's (Penn) single plated third baseman Braxton Tramel (East Carolina).

Navs shortstop Hudson Ellis (Oral Roberts) still delivered a first-inning spark, singling, stealing second and advancing to third. The momentum carried defensively, with Revere native starter Jack Zimmerman (Dayton) retiring the side in a four-batter second inning.

In the latter half of the frame, North Shore sported two baserunners, as catcher Aidan Sengenberger (Seton Hall) walked and left fielder Jack Rickheim was hit by a pitch. Right-hander Brock Bullinger (Central Alabama CC) relieved Zimmerman in the third and took out Newport in another four-batter frame.

An inning later, the Gulls extended their advantage to 6-0, with Gandy homering to left, scoring first baseman Brandon Larson (Southern California). Hunter responded in the bottom of the fourth with a double to left and North Shore's first run.

Newport made it 7-1 during the fifth with Echevarria's single scoring designated hitter Ryan Jaros (Rutgers). On the back end, the Navigators left the bases loaded after left fielder Jack Rickheim (Harvard) singled to left, Ellis was hit by a pitch and Byfield native center fielder Hunter Kingsbury (Bryant) walked.

Lynn native Josh Doney (UMass Lowell) threw a fifth-inning strikeout and was relieved by Finn, who struck out a season-best seven across the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

North Shore had its most explosive inning in the sixth, scoring a pair of runs. Hunter doubled again and scored on a Shulman single. The bases loaded, as Sengenberger walked and first baseman Anderson French (Dallas Baptist) singled. A wild pitch paved the way for Shulman's score, making it 7-3.

An inning later, the Navs piled on another run, as Hunter doubled for the third time, scraping the left-field wall, and sprinted home on another Shulman RBI single, trimming the deficit to three.

Finn's dominant stretch ended with a looking strikeout immediately after Sengenberger caught Gandy stealing in the eighth. North Shore aimed to extend its run streak to three innings, but couldn't score third baseman Simmi Whitehill (Monmouth), who singled.

Another left-handed reliever, Justin Fryer (Northwestern) struck out one in a 1-2-3 ninth. With bases loaded after Kingsbury singled and Shulman and Sengenberger — for the fourth time — walked, North Shore couldn't bring anyone home.

The Navs return to action on Saturday when they visit the Martha's Vineyard Sharks for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch in Oak Bluffs.