LYNN — The North Shore Navigators were dominated by the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks 17-2 in a New England Collegiate Baseball League matchup at Fraser Field Wednesday.
The loss drops the Navigators to (7-23) on the season, which is good for last in the Coastal Division. It also gives them one of the worst records in the NECBL next to the North Adams SteepleCats.
For what seemed to be the entire game, the Sharks were firing on all cylinders on the mound, in the field, and at the plate.
The Sharks scored in every inning but the top of the fourth, amassing twenty hits to earn their 17 runs. Starting pitcher Rafe Schlesinger was lights out, pitching five innings without allowing a run. He gave up only one hit and struck out five Navigators in the process.
On the opposite side, nothing seemed to go right for the Navigators. They trailed from the opening inning, and by the time they had some life in their bats, the Sharks’ lead was insurmountable.
Offensively the Navigators only mustered six hits and had some trouble in the field towards the end of the game with two errors.
From the opening pitch, the Sharks were swinging the bats, and it paid off in the top of the first when Cabot Maher hit an RBI single to make the game 1-0 Sharks.
As Schlesinger dispatched Navigator after Navigator each inning, the Sharks continued slowly building on their lead.
In the top of the second, Danny Crossen stretched the lead to two, scoring Ben Nardi from second on an RBI single right back up the middle. The scoring continued in the top half of the third with two sacrifice flies from Harrison Brown and Nardi. Dorian Gonzalez ended the scoring with an infield hit to take a 5-0.
Eventually, the Sharks would extend their lead to eight by the bottom of the sixth. However, the Navigators awoke in the bottom of the sixth, getting their first run of the game.
With a runner on third and two outs, Nathan Blasick hit an RBI double to make the game 8-1 and avoided a shutout.
Unfortunately for the Navigators, the glimmer of hope from the bottom of the sixth was short-lived. The Sharks exploded for five runs in the top of the seventh, which ended up being their best inning of the game.
Maher was walked with the bases loaded, and Logan Chambers advanced to first with the bases loaded, due to catcher’s interference scoring another run. Finally, Brown came up big with a three RBI double to make the game 13-1.
The Sharks poured it on as the game continued, leading 17-1 in the bottom of the ninth. The Navigators did show some heart scoring before their final out on a Robert Wirtanen sacrifice fly, making the final score 17-2.
Looking ahead, the Navigators will look to right the ship and go on a run, starting with the Valley Blue Sox Friday at home and Saturday against the Danbury Westerners away.
