By: Shannon Bickert
The Schooners got back in the win column with an 11-2 road victory over the Valley Blue Sox on Friday, July 3. The Schooners moved to 14-8 on the summer with the win.
Anthony Belisario (Portal) recorded a three-hit night, reaching base four times in the win.
Bryce Detwiler (UConn) knocked a two-out double to left field against Valley’s starter, Andrew Speranza (Marist), but the Schooners were unable to notch a run in the first.
Mike Poncini (Georgetown) tossed a clean first inning for Mystic with the only baserunner reaching via an error.
The Schooners got the bats working early, putting up a four-run second inning. Casey Wensley (Bryant) led off the frame with a diving single to center field and swiped his 11th bag of the summer. Belisario drove in Wensley on an RBI double. Devin Russell (UNC) kept the line moving with a walk. Anthony Ruggiero (Portal) ripped an RBI-double down the right field line, and Christian Butera (Brown) followed with a sacrifice fly to score Russell. The Schooners continued to capitalize; Ruggiero scored on a wild pitch, making it a 4-0 game.
Trevor Harmon (San Francisco) led off the bottom of the second with the first Blue Sox hit of the night, an infield single to third. After allowing the hit, Poncini retired the next three hitters to get out of the inning.
Mystic doubled their lead in the third inning. Gabe Natividad (Xavier) led off the frame with a hit through the left side. Detwiler reached for his second time with a five-pitch walk, and Belisario loaded the bases with a walk. Natividad scored on the second wild pitch of the game. Russell followed with his third home run of the season, a three-run blast deep to left field, making it an 8-0 ballgame.
The Blue Sox put their first run on the board in the third. Trey Spees (WCU) wore a pitch, and Nick Tomasetto (Seton Hall) ripped a double to left field. Spees came in to score on a ground out from Lucas Alberti (GMU).
Jack Harley (Stetson) knocked a single to center field against the new Valley arm, Mike Madigan (GMU) in the fourth, and cruised into third on an error. Madigan got out of trouble, stranding Harley in scoring position.
Poncini tossed a 1-2-3 fourth inning.
The Schooners were able to capitalize on errors to add on in the fifth. Cam Righi (UConn) was brought aboard on a hit by pitch. Righi made his way around the basepaths, stealing second and third, and came home to score on an overthrow. Belisario reached for the third time in the game on an infield single. Belisario stole second and came in to score on an error by the second baseman, giving Mystic the nine-run lead.
Valley countered with a one-run fifth inning. Chris Cancel (UConn) opened the bottom of the fifth with a single, and Spees followed with a double down the right field line. Tomasetto brought in the second Blue Sox run of the game on a ground out.
Natividad wore a pitch, and Wensley put runners on the corners with a single through the right side against Lukas Jachsens (Oneonta). Jachsens got out of the jam in the sixth, holding Mystic scoreless in the frame.
Tristan Aasland (UConn) took the bump for Mystic in the sixth and tossed a three-up, three-down inning.
Belisario knocked his third hit of the night, a single up the middle to start the seventh inning. Belisario moved to third on a back pickoff attempt, Valley’s fourth error of the game. Russell plated the run with a sacrifice fly, extending Mystic’s lead to nine runs. Butera wore a pitch, and the poor defense continued to bite the Blue Sox, as Harley reached on an error. Jachsens stopped the bleeding, allowing the Schooners to score just a run in a frame filled with traffic on the basepaths.
Aasland tossed his second scoreless frame in the seventh, stranding a runner in scoring position.
Valley called on Jason Pinsonnault (WNEU) in the eighth inning. The new arm allowed a leadoff walk to Detwiler before retiring the next three batters he faced.
Aasland made quick work of the Blue Sox in the eighth inning, retiring Valley in order on eight pitches.
Butera wore his second pitch of the game, and Harley moved the line with a two-out single in the ninth. Natividad wore his second pitch of the day to load the bases, but the Schooners left the bases loaded.
Braden Leed (PSU) took the rubber in the ninth. Anthony Tirado (UMass-Amherst) worked a walk, but Tirado would be the only baserunner given up by Leed, and he closed out the win for the Schooners.
Mystic returns to the Shipyard for America’s 250th birthday. First pitch on July 4 is set for 6:35 pm from Ed Harvey Field.
