The busy schedule for the North Shore Navigators continued Wednesday, as they split a doubleheader with the Seacoast Mavericks on the road.
In the first game, a continuation of a suspended game from July 8. The Navs held a 4-1 lead thanks to Western Connecticut State’s Billy Buscetto’s RBI single and a RBI from Austin Masel (Holy Cross). But the tide turned quickly in this one, as Seacoast’s Evan Hirschbaum smacked a grand slam off Cole Bradley (Wofford) in the bottom of the sixth to put the Mavericks on top with one swing of the bat.
Bradley settled in from that point on, and finished out the game for the Navigators (20-25) without allowing another run, but the Navs couldn’t get much cooking on the offensive end, despite 10 hits, and fell, 5-4, in the early game. Nick Falkson (Tufts), Jeff Mejia (UMass Lowell) and Brad Douglas (Rhode Island College) each had two hits in the first game.
In the nightcap, UMass Lowell’s Henry Funaro took the hill for North Shore. He went 3 2/3, holding the Mavericks scoreless, allowing four hits and one walk, fanning five.
Yamil Delgado (Fisher) allowed the only run Seacoast would get, going 2 1/3 innings, giving up three hits and a walk. Chris Pennell (St. Thomas Aquinas) earned the save, tossing a perfect seventh, striking out two.
At the plate, the Navigators struck early, plating a run in the first. Joey Pena (St. Thomas Aquinas) drew a leadoff walk and stole second. Falkson singled Pena to third, and Nate Rossi brought him home with a single, though he was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double.
In the second, Ted Leathersich (UMass Lowell) singled with one out and came around thanks to a two-out error in center field.
The Navs capped their scoring in the third, as Nick Fuhrmann (Frostburg State) cranked a solo home run, his third long ball of the season.
Falkson finished the day with five hits after going 3-for-4 in the nightcap. Rossi went 2-for-4 and Pena walked twice.
The Navs take on the Brockton Rox bright and early today, starting at 10 a.m. at Campanelli Stadium. The Navs come home Friday as they take on the Blues, with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. and fireworks after the game.
