By: Shannon Bickert

It’s a battle for the top of the NECBL South Division, as the Schooners host the league-best Martha’s Vineyard Sharks on Friday, July 10. Vineyard enters the night 20-5 on the summer. With Mystic’s extra innings win on Thursday, the Schooners moved up to second place in the south with a 16-9 record.

Two of Vineyard’s five losses this season have come against the Schooners. Mystic leads the season series 2-1 against the Sharks with both wins coming at the Vineyard.

Mystic is coming off a 10-9 extra innings victory over Newport, evening the season series at 2-2. Jack Harley (Stetson) walked off the Gulls with a base hit in the 10th inning. Anthony Ruggiero (URI) hit two solo bombs in the win.

The Sharks most recently took down Sanford 2-0 in seven innings on Wednesday evening. Vineyard’s pitching staff held one of the top offenses in the league to just two hits in the contest.

When the teams last met at the Shark Tank, Mystic took an 8-7 extra innings victory over the Sharks. Harley had the go-ahead knock in the 10th, while Thomas O’Connell (UVA) and Anthony Belisario (Portal) hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning. MJ Bollinger (UConn) was awarded the win for his three hitless innings of relief work.

Friday’s contest is filled with some of the best talent in the league. For Vineyard, Jackson Taylor (Clemson) enters the night fifth in the NECBL in batting average with a .375 clip in 16 games played. Mystic’s Jamie Zee (Notre Dame) and Casey Wensley (Bryant) enter the game ranked third and fifth in RBI, respectively. Cam Righi has recorded a team-best 14 stolen bases, which is good for fifth best in the league.

Mystic’s probable starter is Ashton Arroyo (Georgetown). The right-hander has tossed to a 4.20 ERA across six appearances this summer. Arroyo has recorded 13 strikeouts in 15 innings. In his last start against Upper Valley, Arroyo allowed one earned run on two hits across three innings.

First pitch for Friday’s contest is set for 6:30 pm at Ed Harvey Field. A live-game broadcast will be streamed on ESPN+.