By: Shannon Bickert

The Schooners dropped their second straight game at the Shipyard, falling 9-1 to the Blues on Thursday, June 25. Mystic falls to 10-6 on the summer while Bristol moves above .500 on the season with a 9-8 record. Bristol leads the season series 2-1 following the victory.

The Blues offense was hot, tallying 13 hits on the night.

Ashton Arroyo (Georgetown) made his second start of the season for the Schooners and tossed a scoreless first frame, striking out two.

Casey Wensley (Bryant) chopped a two-out infield single, but Hudson Cavallo (WVU), Bristol’s starter, stranded Wensley at first.

Westin Boyle (Purdue) ripped a two-out gapper double in the top of the second, but Arroyo forced a ground out to second to close the inning.

Thomas O’Connell (UVA) worked a walk in the bottom of the second, however, the Schooners were unable to capitalize.

Jack Balcer (Quinnipiac) and Nick Flores (VCU) knocked back-to-back basehits to open the third for the Blues. Antonio Ducatelli (CCSU) laid down a sacrifice bunt to put two in scoring position. Arroyo got out of the jam, retiring three straight.

Jack Harley (Stetson) hit an opposite field single to left in the third. The Schooners stranded their third baserunner in as many innings.

The Blues broke the ice in the fourth, opening the inning with three straight singles. Boyle brought in the first run of the day on an infield single to shortstop. The three consecutive base knocks ended Arroyo’s day, and Mystic turned to Nick Santivanez (CSF). Colin Crawley (Winthrop) tattooed the ball deep to center field, for a three-run shot, giving the Blues a four-run lead.

Anthony Belisario (Portal) wore a pitch and O’Connell and Justin Best (Manhattan) each worked walks to load the bases in the fourth. The Schooners were unable to plate a run as Cavallo worked in and out of trouble.

Santivanez tossed the first 1-2-3 inning of the day in the fifth frame.

Jamie Zee (Notre Dame) dunked a single into left field. Cavallo continued to deal, forcing a double play ball to face the minimum three batters in the fifth inning.

In the sixth, the Blues added to their lead with a one-run frame. Boyle walked and came home on Crawley’s second extra-base hit of the day, a line drive double down the left field line.

O’Connell reached for the third time on an error and Scott Penney (URI) worked a two-out walk, ending Cavallo’s night in the bottom of the sixth. JD Costanzo (WVU) took over on the mound and stranded both baserunners.

Bristol continued to pour on in the seventh when Nick Coniglio (Northeastern) took the mound for Mystic. Ducatelli reached on an error and Chris DiPrima (Yale) worked a walk. Scott Gell (SBU) plated two with a triple into right field to give the Blues a seven-run lead.

The Schooners got on the board in the seventh. Harley reached on a fielder’s choice and Joel Collado (URI) hit a pinch-hit single into shallow right field. Righi and Belisario both walked to bring in Mystic’s first run of the game.

Robert Ogg (Rollins) allowed the first three hitters he faced to reach. DiPrima ripped a two-RBI single to give the Blues a 9-1 advantage in the eighth.

Penney led off the bottom of the eighth with an infield single off Sam Michel (Northwestern). After allowing the leadoff hitter to face, Michel shut down the Mystic bats.

Mystic turned to Justin Gouin (Hartford) in the ninth. Sean Britt (SJU) led off the frame with a single through the right side and Boyle reached on a walk. Balcer loaded the bases with a walk. Gouin got out of trouble, striking out three in the inning.

Brycen Diaz (Elms) took the bump in the bottom of the ninth for the Blues. Wensley walked and swiped second, but Diaz was successful in shutting the door on the Schooners.

The Schooners return home to the Shipyard to face Danbury on Friday, June 26. First pitch from Ed Harvey Field is set for 6:35 pm.