By: Shannon Bickert
The Schooners' ninth inning rally pushed Mystic past the Waves by an 8-3 final, ending the Schooners three-game losing streak on Saturday, June 27. Mystic put up a six-run ninth to make a late comeback after falling behind by a run.
Jack Harley (Stetson) reached five times. Harley singled three times, drew a walk and swiped three bags.
Harley singled to left field in the top of the first for Mystic, but Ocean State’s starter, Elliot Eaton (Washington), got out of the inning unscathed.
In his first start as a Schooner, Chris Hernandez (CSF) struck out three hitters in his first inning of work.
Thomas O’Connell (UVA) chopped an infield single and swiped second. Devin Russell (UNC) followed with a walk. The Schooners capitalized on a misplay that allowed O’Connell to score and give Mystic the early lead.
Harley opened up the third inning, reaching on an error and stealing second. Bryce Detwiler (UConn) singled to right field, and Cam Righi (UConn) loaded the bases with a walk. Despite loading the bases with no outs, the Schooners were unable to cash in.
The Waves knotted things up at one all in the third. Gavin Merchese (Monroe) knocked the first hit of the day for the Waves and moved to second on a wild pitch, allowing him to score on Adonis Medina’s (URI) single up the middle. The Schooners turned to Luke Trout (Brown) with two outs and two on. Trout got out of the inning, stranding both baserunners.
Trout dealt in the fourth after allowing a base hit to Gabe Milano (UMiami), striking out two in the frame.
Harley led off the fifth inning with his second hit of the game, a single up the middle. Harley moved to second on a ground out a swiped third for his second stolen base of the day. Righi knocked in Harley on a chopper groundout to second, giving Mystic the lead again. Jamie Zee (Notre Dame) worked a walk, ending Eaton’s night. Max Marchetti (Northeastern) took over on the bump and recorded the last out of the frame.
Trout continued the strongest outing of his Schooners season with a 1-2-3 fifth inning.
Anthony Belisario (Portal) worked a two-out four-pitch walk, but Belisario was left stranded on the basepaths in the sixth.
Zev Salsberg (Bryant) took the ball for Mystic in the bottom of the sixth frame. Salsberg struck out the first two hitters he faced before allowing a double to Milano. Salsberg stranded Milano in scoring position, keeping Mystic’s one-run lead intact.
Harley led off the seventh with his third single of the night and stole his third bag of the day. Marchetti did not allow the Schooners to add an insurance run, tossing a scoreless inning of work.
Salsberg tossed a three-up, three-down seventh inning.
The Waves made a call to the bullpen to start the eighth, turning to Bryant Yoak (WVU). In his first appearance with the Waves, Yoak tossed a 1-2-3 frame, striking out two.
Ocean State pulled ahead as Liam Chamberlin (Portal) toed the slab in the eighth for Mystic. Medina tied the ballgame with a shot deep to right field. The Waves bats stayed hot, Justin Hackett (Bryant) singled, Milano was intentionally walked, and Sam Fernandez (Stetson) ripped an RBI double deep to right field to give Ocean State the lead.
Mystic’s late theatrics put them past the Waves in the ninth with a six-spot. Harley drew a walk, and Detwiler put two in scoring position with a double to left field. Righi walked to juice the bases for the Schooners. Zee brought in the tying run on an RBI walk. O’Connell drove in the go-ahead run, and a second run came in on an overthrow, giving Mystic a two-run lead. Penney walked, and a sequence of wild pitches allowed O’Connell to score the fourth Mystic run of the inning. Russell kept the line moving with a walk, ending Yoak’s night. Trey Telfer (SDSU) came in, and on the first pitch he threw, Belisario tattooed a ball into right-center field, scoring two.
MJ Bollinger (UConn) made his second relief appearance in as many days and looked to seal the victory in the ninth for Mystic on the bump. The Waves tried to mount a rally with back-to-back hits, but Bollinger shut down a comeback attempt.
Mystic gets an off day before heading on the road to face the Mountaineers on Monday, June 29. First pitch from Montpelier Recreation Field is set for 6:30.
