By: Shannon Bickert

The Schooners split the double header against Valley, dropping game two 10-3 on Saturday, July 25. Mystic fell to 22-17 on the summer with the loss.

Valley got up early, putting up a two-run first inning against Brady Bouchard (Portal). Nick Tomasetto (Seton Hall) opened game two with a lead off blast. Nick Spaventa (UPenn) reached on an error and Chris Cancel (UConn) ripped a double into the right-center field gap. Michael Iannazzo (Elon) plated the second run of the first frame on a sacrifice fly.

Luckas Jachens (SUNY Oneonta) tossed a scoreless first frame for the Blue Sox, only allowing a walk to Bryce Detwiler (UConn).

Tomasetto made the Schooners pay again in the second, driving in Josh Toole (GMU), who doubled to left-center, giving Valley a 3-0 lead.

Mystic chipped away with one run in the second. Justin Best (Manhattan) recorded the Schooners’ first hit, a double down the right field line. Danny Rice (SHU) drove in Best on a single up the middle.

Spaventa opened the third with a solo shot. Cancel wore a pitch and Iannazzo lined a ball to left field, ending Bouchard’s day. Mystic turned to Nick Coniglio (Northeastern) out of the bullpen. Chris Carson (SBU) brought in the second run of the frame with an RBI base hit. Iannazo came in to score on a wild pitch, giving the Blue Sox a five-run lead.

Valley made their first call to the bullpen in the third for Niall Todd (Georgia State). Todd dealt two walks, but got out of the inning unscathed with a double player.

Coniglio tossed a 1-2-3 fourth inning.

Gavin O’Brien (Northeastern) led off the home half of the fourth with a double off the left-center field wall. Rice drew a walk, but Todd stranded both baserunners.

Valley took the 8-1 lead when Ashton Arroyo (Georgetown) took the bump for Mystic in the fifth. Tomasetto continued his strong second game, adding a two-RBI single.

Adam Troch (Duke) led off the bottom of the fifth with a base hit to right off Jon Shields (Angelo State). Jack Harley (Stetson) worked his second walk of the contest and Detwiler hit an infield single to load the bases. Troch came in to score on a wild pitch, making it an 8-2 game.

Iannazzo gave the Blue Sox a seven-run advantage on an RBI-single against Landon Manzi (Maine) in the sixth.

Rice singled up the middle off Jason Pinsonnault (WNEU) in the home half of the sixth, but Pinsonnault forced a double play to get out of the inning unscathed.

The Blue Sox continued to pour on in the ninth. Trey Spees (WCU) capitalized on two errors to move to third, allowing Nico Soul (App St) to add on with a sacrifice fly off Zev Salsberg (Bryant).

Troch led off the bottom of the seventh with an infield single and Detwiler kept the line moving, ripping a single. Thomas O’Connell (UVA) drove in Troch on a single to right. Pinsonnault closed out the win for Valley, allowing the Schooners to add just on in the final frame.

Five Schooners will compete in the All-Star Game on Sunday, July 26 at Goodall Park at 5:10 pm. Mystic will travel to North Shore to face off against the Navs on Monday, July 27 for a doubleheader. First pitch for game one is set for 4 pm.