NAVS WIN EPIC GAME, 2-1 IN 14TH

Well, I'm emotionally drained... how about you? The players and coaches all seem very pumped up - yet very tired at the same time.

I just returned from the field with a bushel of quotes from a players and coaches about tonight's thrilling 14 inning victory over Keene. "Version 1" of the Game Story will be without quotes since we all really need to get out of here. But once we get home, we'll update it with lots of player & coach reactions.

It turns out that from my position on press row, I missed what turned out to be the key moment of the game. After Provencher's close steal of second base, Keene 1B Paul Karmas had some choice words for the umpire. He got tossed, forcing LF Grovatt to move to first base, and putting backup catcher Franco Valdes in left field.

Naturally, Costello lined the first pitch to left field - and Valdes missed it, finally ending an amazing game.

The other breaking story I got from the field was that if the game went to the 15th, Mike Gallo would have been the next guy to come in out of the bullpen.

Stay tuned for the story & quotes. GO NAVS!

Navs rally falls short against Mountaineers

Joe Jasinski, Navigators Sports Information Department

Last Friday in Newport, Mike Gallo went seven innings, gave up one run on four hits, highlighting a 7-1 Navigators’ trouncing of the Gulls.

Tonight, Gallo's line was the same: seven innings, allowing one run on four hits. Only difference, there was no offense.

That is, until the ninth inning.

Despite a two-run, ninth-inning push by the Navigators and stellar outing from Gallo, Vermont was able to return the favor of last night, defeating North Shore 3-2 in front of a rowdy crowd at Fraser Field.

If imaginable, Casey Harman’s performance on the mound for Vermont was perhaps more impressive than that of Gallo.

Harman pitched six innings of shutout baseball, also surrendering four hits, striking out six batters and walking one. He is yet to allow a run in his 24 innings pitched, and has also fanned 28 batters in those innings.

“We knew [he hasn’t given up a run yet this season] going in,” Coach Falcon. “I thought he was impressive. Obviously, he shut us down.”

The Mountaineers were able to advance a runner to third base in the first two innings, but were unable to capitalize on either situation.

They had no such problem in the fourth.

With a leadoff double by Alan Oaks over Mike Provencher’s head in right field, and a walk by Steven Felix, Vermont had runners on first and second with one out. A double steal attempt allowed Felix to reach second, but Jay McConnell’s throw to third was in time to retired Oaks. Matt Duffy then grounded a single up the middle to score Felix for Vermont’s first lead, which they never gave up.

The Navigators offense was stagnant. It was not until the bottom of the seventh inning that they had a baserunner reach second base. Tyler Kuehl led off the inning with an infield single, followed by a sacrifice bunt by Jay McConnell. However, nothing came of it with Kent Graham grounding to third and Kyle Geason hitting a chopper back to the pitcher.

Perhaps the “web gem” of the season thus far came in the top of the sixth inning when third baseman Kyle Geason charged a weak grounded, made a bare-handed grab and throw to get Oaks at first.

The defense continues to play consistently, Falcon said.

“Our defense has been outstanding,” he said. “[Kyle] Geason turned in a couple of great plays. I think our defense is definitely helping us out and keeping us in games.

Both bullpens pitched well until the ninth, when the offenses of Vermont and North Shore correspondingly came alive.

Navigators closer Chris Prescott entered the ninth inning in relief of Jason Markowitz, who posted a scoreless eighth inning, and gave up a leadoff walk to Michael Nesbitt. Felix then knocked a ball back to Prescott, who couldn’t find a handle on the ball, putting runners on first and second. After a Duffy sacrifice bunt turned into a throwing error by Jay McConnell to load the bases, Ogrinc punched a single up the middle, scoring two Mountaineer baserunners, making it 3-0, Vermont.

The Navigator bats were not to be silenced.

Thanks to a defensive blunder by Vermont shortstop Greg Sherry, Provencher was able to reach first to start off the bottom of the ninth. Nick Belcher then roped a double to the wall in left, advancing Provencher to third. Tyler Kuehl recorded his twelfth and thirteenth RBIs of the season with a slapped double along the right field line, making it 3-2 Vermont with no outs in the ninth.

A sacrifice bunt by John Hill was the last sign of progression for the Navigators, as Kent Graham and pinch-hitter Ryan McCrann struck out in succession to end the rally, and the game.

The difference was simple, as Gallo put it.

“These last two starts I’ve made one mistake each time,” he said. “Last game against Newport it was the first pitch fastball that the kid hit for a homerun. Luckily, in the Newport game we scored seven runs. Tonight, the bats came late, but that’s baseball. Sometimes things just don’t fall your way.”

Navs light up Vermont, 8-2

Joseph Gravellese, North Shore Navigators Sports Information Department

Two hours before game time, severe thunderstorms rolled through Montpelier, Vermont, delaying the start of Friday night’s game between the North Shore Navigators and the Vermont Mountaineers. But neither Mother Nature nor the highly regarded Vermont Mountaineers pitching staff could slow down to hot bat of Mike Provencher.

Provencher went 2-for-5, improving his batting average to .333, and drove in three runs with a go-ahead, bases-clearing RBI double in the top of the 7^th. Provencher’s double unleashed an offensive avalanche for the Navigators, who scored seven unanswered runs in the 7^th and 8^th en route to an 8-2 victory over the Mountaineers at Recreation Field.

The win improved North Shore’s league leading record to 11-5, while Vermont fell to 7-7.

The early innings were defined by yet another pitcher’s duel between Mike DiCato and Vermont’s Chris Petrini.

Petrini was impressive for the Mountianeers, scattering 5 hits and striking out 7 in 5 shutout innings. But DiCato was even better. DiCato earned his 2^nd win of the year, holding Vermont to 2 hits and 2 walks while giving up just one unearned run over 7 innings.

“I was just able to throw strikes and let the defense do the work mostly,” said Dicato, repeating a recurring sentiment among Navs pitchers. “My breaking pitch was working well all night and that allowed me to be successful.”

Sean McNaughton and Justin Little each made a number of excellent running catches in the outfield to prevent what appeared off the bat to be sure hits. “Little took away a couple base hits tonight, and he’s been doing it for every other outing, too. It’s awesome [when you can get defense like this],” said DiCato.

The two pitchers combined for five scoreless innings to start the game.

The Navigators finally broke the ice in the 6^th inning, thanks in large part to a slick play by John Hill.

Nick Belcher worked a walk off of relief pitcher R.J. Preach to start the inning.. Tyler Kuehl made two failed attempts to move Belcher over with a sacrifice bunt before grounding it to second base for a fielder’s choice.

Hill stepped up and immediately squared to bunt, standing in position for 5 seconds. Then, just as Preach went into his delivery, Hill pulled back and took a swing, smoking Preach’s grooved fastball to the rightfield wall for an RBI double.

The lead wouldn’t last long, however; the Mountaineers struck back with a run of their own off of Dicato in the home half of the 6^th. Greg Sherry got it started with an infield hit to third base. On the first pitch to Gerald Ogrinc, Sherry took off for second base. Hill’s throw zipped into centerfield, moving Sherry to 3^rd. Ogrinc then brought him in with a groundout to 2^nd base.

That’s when Provencher and the Navigators offense went to work.

Kyle Geason led off the top of the 7^th with a walk and went to 3^rd on a double by McNaughton. Preach then plunked Little with a 2-2 fastball to load the bases for Provencher. He promptly hit a laser that rolled up against the 420 marker in centerfield, bringing home all three baserunners.

Tyler Kuehl brought Provencher home later in the inning with a 2-out RBI double.

The Navigators put three more runs on the board in the 8^th when the wheels fell off the Vermont defense. The Mountaineers made four errors in the inning, allowing Geason, McNaughton, and Ryan McCrann to score.

Chris Kowalski struggled in relief, giving up six hits over the final two innings, but he held Vermont to just one run, preserving the 8-2 win.

It was a good all around offensive performance for the Navigators, with all nine starters reaching base at least once in the game.

“The top of the order was doing a lot of good things, but the bottom of the order really came through tonight, and I think that was the difference,” said coach Jason Falcon. “They were able to get on base and give the top of our order some things to work with. We’ve been going three pitches and out the last couple of nights, but tonight I think the bottom of the order did a great job in setting the table for us.”

The Navs complete the second leg of a home-and-home series with Vermont on Saturday night at Fraser Field; gametime is 7:00 PM.

Herter, Provencher lead Navs to tenth win

Steve DelVecchio, Navigators Sports Information Department

Turning in perhaps the best start for any North Shore pitcher this season, Adam Herter (3-0) out-dueled Manchester Silkworms’ starter Brian Pendergast (0-3), to lead the Navigators to their tenth win of the season Friday night at Fraser Field. With the victory, Herter secured his third win of the season in as many starts.

In what turned out to be a classic pitchers duel, the Navigators (10-5) were able to hold off Manchester (6-7), win the game 2-0, and take just over two hours to do so. Adam Herter pitched eight and one third shutout innings, and allowed nine hits to go along with four strike outs and no walks. Almost equally as impressive was Brian Pendergast who gave the Silkworms seven strong innings giving up only one run on three hits, striking out three and yielding only one walk.

The only blemish of the night for Pendergast came in the bottom of the first and proved to be all the Navigators would need in a night where runs were few and far between. Continuing to showcase his home-run power, Navigators’ right fielder Mike Provencher pounded a Pendergast fastball over the left field fence at Fraser Field to give North Shore an early 1-0 lead.

“I don’t know. I’m just getting some good swings on the ball and they’re getting out of the ballpark, “Provencher said of his approach at the plate. I’m not trying to hit it out, I’m just trying to get good contact, but it’s been working out.”

The Navigators were able to push an insurance run across in the bottom of the eighth. Designated hitter Peter Fatse reached with one out in the inning on a throwing error by pitcher Brian Pendergast. He then scored on a fielder’s choice following another Silkworms fielding error to give the Navigators a 2-0 lead heading into the final frame.

However, one run was more than enough for Herter to work with as he cruised through the first seven innings he worked.

As is often the case with starting pitchers, Herter attributed part of his success to the speed with which the game moved forward.

“It does help my effectiveness,” Herter said. “I’m not trying to go strike everyone out, I’m just trying to get ground balls and keep the tempo going.”

Outstanding defense from the Navigators also helped Herter pitch with a high level of confidence and be effective through over eight innings of work.

“It was all defense tonight,” he said. “They were great behind me. No errors on the board, big plays all the way around. I threw strikes and was able to be confident in my defense if they put the ball in play. It was a close ballgame and we rose up and got the win.”

When it appeared as though Herter may be able to become the first Navs pitcher to throw a complete game shutout this season, he ran into a bit of trouble in the top of the ninth inning. After striking out the first batter of the inning, Herter hit Manchester right fielder Zach Hudson with a pitch. Silkworms third baseman Sean O’Hara followed with a base hit, which brought manager Jason Falcon to the mound to take the ball from Herter after an outstanding performance.

“He kept his pitch count low and spotted his pitches well,” Falcon said. “When they did get hits off of him, it was only after he made some outs in the inning. He was so good at getting that first out – that’s the key. He was around the plate, he challenged people, and his defense played well behind him.”

Another effective outing from the Navigators bullpen preserved the win for Herter, and the shutout for the team, when Jason Markovitz came on to get the final two outs of the game. The Navigators take on the Vermont Mountaineers tomorrow night, in Montpelier.

Navs lose battle of the long ball

by Zander Kean, Navigators Sports Information Department
BOX

The North Shore Navigators came into Thursday night’s game against the Keene Swamp Bats still looking for their first home run of the 2008 NECBL season.

And in the top of the eighth, Mike Provencher delivered, sending a 3-2 offering from Swamp Bat reliever Adam Kolarek sailing over the short porch in right-center. He did it again the following inning, this time to left-center off closer Matt Jebb.

But the bombs weren’t enough, as Keene picked up three home runs of their own and defeated the Navs, 4-3.

The Navigators (6-4) looked poised to get the offense going against Keene (8-1) starter James Wise in the top of the second. Sean McNaughton ripped a one-out double into the gap in right-center, but was thrown out at third on a Provencher grounder. Provencher was then caught stealing for the third out of the inning.

North Shore’s baserunning woes continued in the third, as Peter Fatse was picked off on a snap throw by Keene catcher Dan Petro.

Though the North Shore offense did not provide any run support, Mike DiCato started strong in his second appearance in a Navigator uniform. He retired the first eight Swamp Bat hitters, and did not allow a hit until there were two outs in the fifth inning.

But that first hit wasn’t cheap, as Keene centerfielder Alex Lee drove a first-pitch fastball over the right-centerfield fence to give the Swamp Bats a 1-0 advantage.

Keene extended their lead in the following inning. With one out, Chris Trembley lined a single to center, then reached second when Kyle Geason bobbled a grounder off the bat of Dan Grovat.

DiCato then struck out John Barr, but gave up a run-scoring single to Paul Karmas, putting the Swamp Bats ahead, 2-0. With runners on second and third, DiCato bounced back to fan designated hitter John Chester, preventing any further damage.

For Keene, Wise matched DiCato’s output on the hill. He overpowered the Navigator hitters with his fastball, facing the minimum number of hitters through the first six innings.

The Navigators had their best chance to score against Wise in the seventh inning. Justin Little and Tyler Kuehl led off the inning with back-to-back singles, putting the Navs’ fastest runner in scoring position with nobody out.

But Wise struck out John Hill and Nick Belcher, and got McNaughton to ground out to short, ending the rally. Wise left after the inning, giving up just three hits. He struck out four Navigators and walked one.

The Swamp Bats doubled their lead in the bottom of the inning on a pair of solo home runs by Petro and Casey McGrew. Jose Macias then chased DiCato from the game with a single to right.

In his six and one-third innings on the mound, DiCato gave up four runs – all earned – on six hits. He did demonstrate excellent control, striking out seven Swamp Bats against not a single walk.

After Provencher’s blast in the eighth cut the deficit to 4-1, pinch hitter Jay McConnell nearly gave the Navigators their second home run of the inning – and the season. He drove a Kolarek pitch deep to right, but McGrew ran under it and made the catch just in front of the 354-foot wall.

The Navigators gave it the old college try in the top of the ninth. Hill reached on a throwing error and came around to score on a Belcher groundout. Provencher’s second dinger cut the deficit to one, but Jebb got Fatse to pop out to short to record the final out.

Though the bats didn’t always come through, the Navs put together a few stellar defensive plays in the field. Centerfielder Justin Little – in just his second start since returning from an arm injury – made a backhanded diving catch in the second inning.

Then in the eighth, Chad Zurcher made a leaping grab at shortstop, doubling off the runner on first.

With the loss, the Navigators fell two-and-a-half games behind the Swamp Bats in the NECBL Northern Divison. The team continues its six-game road trip tomorrow night against the Newport Gulls.

Navs suffer first road loss of season, 8-4

***Sorry for posting this so late, but not only did the bus not arrive in Lynn until 12:30 AM (with my 45-minute drive home on top of that), apparently some local team had a basketball game tonight. But hey, at least you'll have something to read at work!


Noblit, Silkworms Cool Navigator Bats

Zander Kean, Navigators Sports Information Department

The North Shore Navigators looked to ride the momentum of their four-game winning streak Wednesday as they opened a six-day road trip against the Manchester Silkworms.

But Manchester starter Nick Noblit gave up just one run as the Silkworms took Tuesday night’s game, 8-4. Noblit commanded his fastball and effectively mixed in his off-speed pitches, striking out seven Navigators over six innings.

North Shore (5-3) had its opportunities – battling back from a six-run deficit to send the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh inning – but left nine men on base, several in scoring position.

“We had runners on base every inning, but we just didn’t execute by moving runners along and chipping away,” head coach Jason Falcon said following the game. “Had it been 5-3 and we came through with those big runs later in the game – different story.”

Manchester (5-4) opened the scoring in the top of the first inning. After A.J. Rusbarsky grounded out to short, Jeff Cammans blasted a triple to left-center that deflected off the glove of Navs’ centerfielder Sean McNaughton. Matt Grosso followed with a grounder to second, sending in Cammans to give the Silkworms an early 1-0 lead.

But the Navs answered in the top of the second. Nick Belcher led off the inning with a broken-bat single up the middle, and Mike Provencher moved him to second with a single of his own.

Designated hitter Ryan McCrann then placed an outside pitch down the third base line, scoring Belcher and tying the score at 1.

The Silkworms regained the lead in the bottom of the third off Navigator starter Mike Adams. After Cammans knocked in a run with a single, Grosso delivered again, this time with a double to left-center that put Manchester ahead by two. Zach Hudson followed with a double of his own, scoring Cammans and Grosso and extending the lead to 5-1.

Adams was around the plate all night – he walked just one batter – but Manchester’s hitters connected more often than not. In 5-plus innings, Adams gave up seven runs on nine hits, striking out four Silkworm batters.

Falcon said that Manchester’s approach at the plate allowed them to capitalize on Adams’ offerings.

“I think [Adams] was a little tired from his two innings in the USA game. You could tell their plan of attack was to go right at him, and they executed pretty well. They went after his first pitch a lot, and then they got and got guys on base and drove the ball well.”

Ryan Krull relieved Adams with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth. Though Krull struck out three batters in the inning, he also walked in two runs to give Manchester a 7-1 lead.

In the top of the seventh, the Navs mounted a rally against Manchester southpaw Jordan Wolfe. With two runners on and one out, catcher Jay McConnell lined a 2-run double to right, his first hit in a Navigator uniform. Belcher then drove a two-bagger to left-center to bring in McConnell and cut the deficit to 7-4.

With two on and two out in the inning, J.J. Potrikus relieved Wolfe and got Provencher to ground into a fielder’s choice to second, ending the North Shore rally. Potrikus then retired the side in order in the eighth.

A.J. Rusbarsky accounted for the last run of the game with an RBI single off North Shore reliever Chris Prescott. Brandon Otto finished the job for Manchester, retiring Nick Belcher for the game's final out.

On the bright side for the Navigators, outfielder Justin Little saw significant playing time for the first time since injuring his bicep last week. Little pinch ran for McNaughton, played the last two innings in center and picked up an infield single and a stolen base in his lone at bat.

“I feel like I’m getting back into it,” he said. “My arm feels good and everything like that. It’s good to be back out here for an at bat or two.”

With their opening-day leadoff man healthy again, the Navigators will continue their six-game road trip Wednesday against the Holyoke Sox. Adam Herter, who won his first start of the season against the Sanford Mainers, gets the ball for the Navs.

Dicato, Navs cruise to 13-2 victory over Sanford

by Joseph Gravellese, North Shore Navigators Sports Information Department

BOX SCORE / PLAY BY PLAY

Five starting pitchers, five impressive outings. Coach Jason Falcon and the North Shore Navigators couldn’t have asked for much better than that out of their pitching staff so far. Winthrop native Mike DiCato became the latest Navigators starter to pitch well in his season debut, giving up two runs on four hits in six innings of work. The Navs rode DiCato’s strong start and a six-run seventh inning to a 13-2 victory over the Sanford Mainers at Fraser Field – their second win over Sanford in as many nights. North Shore improves to 3-2 on the young season, while Sanford drops back to .500 at 2-2.

Falcon had high praise for DiCato (1-0). “I think DiCato was real nervous coming into this one since this is so close to his hometown, and he had all of his friends and family here,” he said. “He’s got some history on this field. He just went out and dealt all night long and gave us a chance to win. Our pitching staff has been outstanding thus far.”

DiCato, a junior at UMass-Amherst, faced the minimum through four innings before working himself out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth. With the Navs holding a 1-0 lead thanks to John Hill’s first inning sacrifice fly, DiCato yielded a one-out single to A.J. Casario. One out later, Will Greenberg and Greg Hopkins drew back-to-back walks, but DiCato ended the threat by striking out Klint Reed looking with a fastball over the outside corner.

"That was huge,” said DiCato. “I just wanted to go out there and throw strikes, and let the offense do the work. The big inning rallies were huge – those are a pitcher’s best friend.”

From there, the Navigators’ bats took over. Sean McNaughton greeted relief pitcher Kyle Davis with a leadoff double in the bottom of the 5^th. Peter Fatse attempted a sacrifice bunt, but the throw was wide, putting two runners on. With Mike Provencher batting, Davis threw a wild pitch, allowing McNaughton to score.

The Mainers’ defensive woes continued later in the inning. With runners on first and second with one out, the Navigators executed a successful double steal. Kevin Reimer’s throw to third base sailed into left field, scoring Fatse. Tyler Kuehl capped off the inning by rattling a double off the wall in left, bringing home Nick Belcher to make it 4-0.

Sanford clawed back into the game with two runs in the top of the 6^th, but the Navs put it out of reach by scoring seven runs over the next two innings. North Shore batted around in the seventh, with Kent Graham, Sean McNaughton, and Nick Belcher each driving in two, increasing the lead to 11-2.

Belcher’s double off the wall in left center was the closest any Navigator has come to hitting a home run at Fraser this year. “I’ve been getting a lot of good swings on the ball lately, but they hadn’t been falling,” said Belcher. “I got a first pitch fastball and just tried to get some good wood on it, and I did.”

He said that the Navs’ recent offensive success has come as a result of being patient at the plate. “We’re taking more pitches,” he said. “Then we’re putting the ball in play.”

For the second consecutive night, Sean McNaughton was the spark plug at the top of the order, going 3-for-4 with a double, two runs, and two RBIs. “I just feel comfortable [hitting leadoff],” said McNaughton. “That’s where I hit at college, so I just feel good there. I saw some good pitches and was able to hit the ball hard.”

The Navs capped the scoring with two more in the eighth, with Kyle Geason picking up his first RBI of the season on a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield. The 13-run output is the best in Navs history – topping Wednesday night’s 7 runs at Sanford. Falcon was pleased by this turnaround from the previous two games, in which the Navs were held scoreless in consecutive games.

Chris Kowalski was impressive again in relief for the Navigators, allowing one hit and fanning a pair in two shutout innings. The Boston College sophomore has yet to give up a run in three appearances this season. “Kowalski did great,” said Falcon. “He gives us exactly what we need – he goes out there and gives the other team no hope. That’s the idea I like – the other team thinks that if this guy comes in, it’s going to be hard to score.”

The Navigators continue their four game homestand on Friday night against the Lowell All-Americans. Mike Gallo (1-0), who got the win out of the bullpen on opening night, will start on the mound for North Shore. On Friday night, students who completed the Comcast reading program will be honored in a pre-game ceremony. Fans can find out more details about this and all other events at the team’s official website, www.nsnavs.com.

Navs break out lumber to beat Sanford, 7-6

Zander Kean, Navigators Sports Information Department

After two consecutive shutout losses dropped the team’s record under .500 for the first time this season, the North Shore Navigators’ bats broke out Wednesday night against the Sanford Mainers. The Navigator offense overcame an early four-run deficit to beat the Mainers, 7-6, at Sanford’s Goodall Park.

The Navigators (2-2) did most of the damage in the top of the fifth inning, putting together their most explosive inning of the season. The team sent ten batters to the plate in the inning, with five of them coming around to score to give North Shore the lead for good.

Sean McNaughton opened the inning with a double to deep center, and Mike Provencher knocked a double of his own off the left field wall, sending McNaughton in from second and chasing starter Ryan LaPointe from the game.

Later in the inning, after a throwing error by second baseman Clint Reed allowed Derek Trent to score and tie the game at five, Ryan McCrann belted a two-run triple off Sanford reliever Ryan Cole to cap off the inning.

McNaughton batted fifth in the Navigators’ last game against the Holyoke Blue Sox, but moved over to centerfield and up to the leadoff spot when Justin Little hurt himself in batting practice. He was able to ignite the team’s offense, reaching base four times and scoring the Navs’ first three runs.

“When I was at Brigham Young [University] I led off the entire year and I’ve done that for two years so I enjoy it and I feel more comfortable at the leadoff spot,” he said.

Coming into tonight’s game, the Navs had not scored a run since beating the Vermont Mountaineers, 4-3, on opening night. But they took care of that in the top of the first inning.

After McNaughton worked a walk to lead off the game, Provencher singled to send McNaughton to third. The Navigator centerfielder then scored on a passed ball to give North Shore an early 1-0 lead.

But the Mainers responded in the bottom of the inning, capitalizing on a pair of Navigator errors to take a 2-1 lead. Catcher Kevin Reimer singled to bring in leadoff man Mark Micowski, and Sanford picked up another run after Branson Joseph grounded into a double play.

The Navs’ defensive struggles continued in the second inning. Provencher misjudged a fly ball off the bat of Devin Harris, and McCrann airmailed a throw to first base. Micowski scored on a sacrifice fly to cap off a three-run inning, giving Sanford a 5-1 lead.

Head Coach Jason Falcon attributed the Navigators’ mistakes to early-season jitters.

“It’s their first time here, I think every team’s going to go through a little bit of a transition. I told the guys that the errors we made were more mental than they were physical.”

McNaughton scored on a Tyler Kuehl double in the third inning to cut the deficit to 5-2. The score stayed that way until the Navigators’ big inning in the fifth.

As a team, the Navs had drawn just one walk and had compiled a tiny .232 on-base percentage before tonight’s game. But they turned it around tonight, drawing eight walks to go along with their nine hits.

“It’s swinging at good pitches and having a good pitch selection, and just getting the ball on the ground,” McNaughton said. “When you strike out nothing’s going to happen, so when you put the ball in play something’s going to happen and it’s going to be good.”

Herter settled down after the shaky start, only giving up a solo home run to Sanford’s Branson Joseph. Over six innings he allowed a total of six runs – just two earned – on seven hits. He walked three Mainers against just one strikeout, picking up the win in his first start of the season.

After the game, Herter said that his two-seam fastball was one of his better pitches.

“Fastball felt good, my changeup was working and I struggled with the curveball a little bit,” he said. “But I just battled and tried to use my defense behind me, we’ve got some good players back there.”

Jason Markowitz made his first appearance in a Navigator uniform in relief of Herter. Markowitz battled through two innings, striking out Scott Farrara with two on and two out in the eighth to preserve the one-run lead.

Chris Prescott recorded his second save of the season in the ninth, striking out A.J. Casario to end the game.

Though the Navigators were able to even up their record at 2-2, the victory came with a price. In addition to Little’s injury in batting practice, catcher Dan Coury dislocated a fingertip diving back to second base and is expected to miss at least a week.

The team came in to the night short at the position after Beau Brooks signed with the Los Angeles Angels following the MLB Amateur Draft. But John Hill stepped in after Coury’s injury and threw out three of four runners trying to steal second.

“We were told [Hill] was going to be a big part of the Long Beach [State University defense next year, so we’re very comfortable with him back there,” Falcon said. “This is his first time with these pitchers and he’s doing an outstanding job so far.”

Tomorrow, the Navigators will try to beat Sanford for the second straight night as the Mainers make the trip to Fraser Field. Mike DiCato will deliver his first pitch just after 7:00 PM.

Navs' Bats Silenced Again in 4-0 Loss

Joe Jasinski, Navigators Sports Information Department

Standing at an intimidating 6’5, 270 pounds, Navigators starting pitcher Wayde Kitchens stared down at Steve Lombardozzi, the Blue Sox leadoff hitter. After loading the count, Lombardozzi belted a single up the middle.

After that, Kitchens (Chapman Univ.) settled down, giving up two runs on five hits through six and two-thirds innings. He also struck out four batters and surrendered two walks.

However, the Navigators (1-2) failed to tally a run for the second straight night, losing 4-0 to the Holyoke Blue Sox (1-1) last night at Fraser Field.

Pretty much everything Kitchen brought to the table was on, Navigators catcher John Hill said.

“He looked pretty good … even his changeup, which he didn’t really have much confidence in before the game, he was throwing for strikes.”

The similarities to last night’s game were quite evident. Another pure pitchers duel, this time featuring Kitchens (0-1) and Holyoke south-paw Justin Albert (1-0). Albert threw seven innings of scoreless ball, yielding four hits and striking out five batters.

Albert’s success came from punishing the strike zone and the lack of aggressiveness from Navigator batters, Coach Falcon said.

“He was effective,” Falcon said. “I don’t think we ever really caught on to getting on him and getting on him early. I think one or two guys did but we really didn’t make many adjustments. Unfortunately we just didn’t get to him.”

For the second night in a row, the Navigators drew no walks.

The Blue Sox started the scoring in the sixth inning. After a lead-off single, a sacrifice bunt and a passed ball, right-fielder Allen Bolden dropped a bloop single into shallow-left field, scoring second baseman Kenny Socorro from third base.

In the seventh, Holyoke designated hitter Grant Allgire belted a single, scoring center-fielder Alex Hilliard from third, and ending Kitchens’ night.

Holyoke continued their hitting brigade in the eighth, scoring two runs off of reliever Ryan Krull (Bellarmine Univ.) behind back-to-back doubles from first-baseman Ken Gregory and Hilliard.

The Navigators used three relievers in the game, starting with Mike Gallo (1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H), followed by Krull (2/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H) and ending with Chris Kowalski (1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H). Charles Williams supplied two innings of relief for Holyoke, allowing no runs on two hits.

While the Navigators continue to struggle at the plate, Falcon assured that the hitting will come, and a lot of the struggles come from the adjustment to the league’s wood bat requirement.

“Everybody goes through that,” Falcon said. “You look at how they scored their runs tonight and they had a couple of singles to get some runs in but they had a bloop single to drive in one of them. That’s everybody … We built this team around guys who can swing the bat and I’m confident they will.”

Tyler Kuehl and Justin Little continued their good hitting, going 2-3 and 2-4, respectively, at the plate.

The Navigators’ next game is against the Sanford Mainers at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday night. The game can be viewed on LynnCAM through the Navigators’ website. The Navigators return to Fraser Field on Thursday night to face the Mainers once again. First pitch is schedule for 7:00 p.m.

BOX

Navs Take First Loss, 2-0

Steve DelVecchio, Navigators Sports Information Department

A look at the box score of Sunday evening’s NECBL game between the North Shore Navigators and the Keene Swamp bats will provide you with the game’s story line - pitcher’s duel.

Moving forward at a torrid pace, starting pitchers Mike Adams (North Shore) and Tommy Meagher controlled the game from the start. What was particularly interesting about this matchup was the contrasting styles with which the two pitchers were able to effectively pile up outs. Adams, who was 11-1 with an impressive 1.36 ERA at Franklin Pierce University, got the bulk of his outs on the ground while Meagher retired the majority of batters he faced by inducing fly ball outs.

While the Navigators struggled to put pressure on Meagher as he cruised through seven innings, giving up no runs on three hits and striking out three batters while walking none, Mike Adams was forced to battle his way out of a couple of difficult innings.

To begin the sixth, Swamp Bats’ outfielder Alex Lee dropped a bunt down between the pitcher’s mound and third base and reached safely when Adams and third baseman Ryan McCrann collided and neither was able to make a play. However, just when it appeared the Swamp Bats may be threatening to push a run across, Lee made a critical base running error and was thrown out attempting to go from first to third on a single. Adams was able to hold off any further threat and keep the game scoreless.

“There was only one inning where I didn’t put somebody on base, the fourth,” Adams said of his performance. “Every other inning I was working out of jams. It’s nothing new – I did it a lot at school, too. You just have to bear down.”

Although he pitched an outstanding game by most standards, Adams was not overly thrilled with his performance.

“It wasn’t my best stuff, but I was getting by,” he said. “I posted a bunch of zeroes and was waiting for us to strike, but it didn’t happen. I just wanted to give us a chance to win the game.”

Unfortunately for Adams and the Navs, the Swamp Bats were able to apply more pressure in the seventh inning, this time with improved results. Keene catcher Dan Petro led off the inning with a double and reached third on a passed ball. After hitting a batter to put runners at the corners, Adams was able to induce a ground ball double play, allowing Petro to score from third. That was all the Swamp Bats would need to pick up their first win of the season.

Although only needing the one run to win the game, the Swamp Bats were able to push two runs across in the seventh and Navigators coach Jason Falcon believed the second run was the real difference maker.

“We got what we wanted. We got the double play. The run scored, but we were playing for the one run,” he said in reference to the seventh frame. “I think the second run kind of deflated us. It’s a new season; the guys are still all getting used to each other. But like I told them afterward, we’ve given up 9 hits in 18 innings – I think we’re going to win some games.”

Swamp Bats pitcher David Colvin, from Pomona-Pitzer college, came on in the eighth inning and shut down the Navigators to preserve the win for Tommy Meagher. Colvin threw two perfect innings striking out two and picking up his first save of the year.

BOX SCORE/PLAY BY PLAY

Navs Squeak by Vermont in Fraser Opener, 4-3

Joseph Gravellese, North Shore Navigators Sports Information Department

On a steamy opening night at Fraser Field, the North Shore Navigators introduced themselves to the Lynn crowd in style, topping the defending champion Vermont Mountaineers 4-3. Mike Gallo (1-0), a Peabody native, picked up the victory for the Navigators, pitching a 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Josh Syberg (0-1) took the loss for Vermont, yielding 4 runs on 10 hits.

“It’s good to beat a quality team to start the season,” said head coach Jason Falcon. “There’s still a long way to go, but any time you can win the opener, it’s good. We got some of the kinks out.

The Navigators trailed 3-2 going into the bottom of the 6^th inning when Kent Graham, a member of Trinity College’s Division 3 national championship team, worked a leadoff walk off of Syberg to start a rally. Nick Belcher’s sacrifice bunt attempt was mishandled by Vermont catcher Jon Hurst, putting runners on first and second with nobody out.

After Peter Fatse struck out looking for the first out of the inning, pinch hitter Ryan McCrann hit a hard grounder toward shortstop Jon Roof. Roof fielded the ball cleanly, but his throw pulled second baseman Greg Sherry off the bag, loading the bases.

Then, Tyler Kuehl chopped a base hit up the middle. Graham and Belcher came around to score and put North Shore on top, 4-3.

“He got me 2-2 and I had to battle off a few pitches,” said Kuehl after the game. “I had to get something through the middle. Luckily I got a good piece of one and it got through.”

In the top of the 7^th, Kuehl’s glove would play a big role in preserving the Navs’ slim advantage.

After Gallo walked the first two batters of the inning, Steven Felix dropped a sacrifice bunt to put two runners in scoring position with one away. Matt Duffy then hit into a fielder’s choice for the second out.

The next batter, University of Vermont star Ethan Paquette, hit a bounding ball up the middle that appeared ticketed for centerfield, but Kuehl was there, ranging to his right to make the play and retire the side.

“I thought Nick (Belcher) would have it so I overran it, but you know, things happened,” laughed Kuehl after the game.

Chris Prescott, a junior at St. Joseph’s University, came in and pitched two innings of shut-down relief to earn the save. He struck out two and retired all six batters he faced.

“I just wanted to make a good impression my first time out,” said Prescott. “I wasn’t trying to do too much, I just wanted to get the job done.”

Springfield College junior Jimmy Lisowski started for the Navigators, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits in 5.2 innings of work.

“LIsowski battled all game,” said Falcon. “He didn’t have his best stuff, but he gave us good innings and gave us a chance to win.”

In order to put his team in position to win, Lisowski had to overcome a mistake-plagued 4^th inning. The Mountaineers scored three times to take a 3-1 lead, aided by a walk, three passed balls, and a throwing error by catcher John Hill.

Lisowski battled through it, pitching a scoreless 5^th inning and earning two outs in the 6^th before giving way to Gallo.

The Navigators chipped away at Vermont’s lead in the bottom of the 5^th when Sean McNaughton’s double to the wall in left field scored Justin Little to make it 3-2, setting up the go-ahead 6^th inning rally.

“I think I share Coach Falcon’s gratification at being able to knock off Vermont,” joked owner Phil Rosenfield after the game, referring to the fact that it was the Mountaineers who ended the Holyoke Giants’ playoff run last season. “It’s a good sign that we are once again a gritty, competitive, hard team to beat.”

The team was appreciative of the supportive Fraser Field crowd of 1,106.

“What a great baseball vibe,” said Kuehl after the game. “I haven’t felt that in a while.”

The team returns to action tomorrow night at 6:05 against the Keene Swamp Bats. Mike Adams of Franklin Pierce University will toe the rubber for North Shore. Fans can check out www.nsnavs.com for more information.

BOX SCORE, PLAY-BY-PLAY

Navs staffer Joseph Jasinski contributed to this report