Navigators rout Holyoke Blue Sox

LYNN – Apparently, the key to hitting success in the game of baseball is using brand-new bats.That was the case for North Shore Navigators left fielder Sean McNaughton, who went 4-for-4, with three extra-base hits (two triples and a double) mixed in among them. He also accounted for four RBI and scored a run, as the Navs pounded Holyoke last night, 9-1, at Fraser Field.”My parents sent me bats called Sandbats, and today was the first time I used one,” said McNaughton, who plays for the Brigham Young baseball squad during his collegiate season. “The bat just felt good in my hands.”McNaughton drove in his first run in the bottom of the first. Teammate Mike Provencher reached on a fielder’s choice, and McNaughton brought him around with the game’s first run with a triple that bounced off the wall in right-center.North Shore (12-6) increased the lead in the third. Centerfielder Justin Little drew a leadoff walk from Holyoke starter Rob Gariano. Little stole second, then went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Provencher. McNaughton lined a double past third and into the left-field corner to plate Little for a 2-0 North Shore advantage.The Blue Sox (10-9) cut the deficit in half in the top of the third off North Shore lefty Jimmy Lisowski. First baseman Sean Killeen cracked a one-out double to right-center, then came around on teammate James Wood’s single moments later.However, that only served to anger the Navs, as they pounded Gariano in the bottom of the frame with a two-out rally. Designated hitter Derek Trent doubled to the corner in right. Shortstop Chad Zurcher was then hit by a pitch, and Little walked to load the bases. Provencher sent a double off the wall in right-center, bringing in Trent and Zurcher. McNaughton then added his second triple of the evening to score both Little and Provencher for a 6-1 North Shore lead.”It was nice to see the guys get some good hits tonight,” said Navigators head coach Jason Falcon, who saw his club swat 13 of them. “We hadn’t been producing runs, and I was concerned, so we mixed the lineup around.”North Shore added a run in the fifth when catcher John Hill singled across second baseman Tyler Kuehl, then closed out the scoring with two more in the sixth.Lisowski worked the first seven innings, giving up just five hits, before making way for reliever Ryan Krull.”Jimmy’s numbers don’t reflect how well he’s been pitching,” said Falcon, as the lefty won just his first game of the season, despite entering the contest with a microscopic 0.77 ERA. “He’s been lights-out for us this year, and I think pitching with the big lead (tonight) helped him out. His pitch count was low, but we wanted to give Ryan some work as well.”