By: Shannon Bickert

Mystic fell to the league-best Martha’s Vineyard Sharks 9-6 on Friday, July 10 at the Shipyard. The Schooners fell to 16-10 on the summer with the loss.

The Sharks got on the board in the first against Ashton Arroyo (Georgetown) in the top of the first. Kevin Hall (UAB) led off with a single. Jackson Roper (WFU) plated Hall on a single into left-center field.

The Schooners were able to capitalize on early errors to put up a two run first. Thomas Achey (Stetson) hit Jack Harley (Stetson) by pitch to open the bottom of the frame. Gabe Natividad (Xavier) and Anthony Ruggiero (URI) both reached on errors. Anthony Belisario (GWU) brought across the first run on a fielder’s choice. Belisario got caught in a rundown, allowing Natividad to score, and give Mystic a 2-1 lead.

After allowing traffic in the first, Arroyo tossed a 1-2-3 second inning of work.

Mystic added on a run in the second. Joel Collado (URI) worked a walk and advanced to third on two wild pitches, setting up Cam Righi (UConn) for an RBI-single to right field.

The Sharks answered with a three-run third, taking the lead on the Schooners. Bryan Sornas (Holy Cross) worked a walk, Wesley Scott (Louisiana Tech) and Carter Bentley (Northeastern) followed with back-to-back singles, plating Sornas. Griffin Crain (Louisville) knotted up the score at two on a sacrifice fly. The Schooners made a call to the bullpen for Jack Ballou (Lindsey Wilson). Roper brought in the go-ahead run with an RBI-infield single. Jackson Taylor (Clemson) walked, and Nick Rubio wore a pitch to load the bases, but Ballou worked out of the traffic jam, inducing a double-play ball.

Zev Salsberg (Bryant) took the bump for Mystic in the fourth. The new arm dealt a walk to Sornas, but held the Sharks scoreless in the frame.

The Vineyard made their first call to the bullpen in the fourth to Matthew Heyl (UCF). Christian Butera (Brown) hit a two-out bloop single to center field, but the Schooners were unable to capitalize.

Salsberg tossed a second scoreless inning of relief work, dealing just a walk to Taylor in the fifth.

Heyl allowed a two-out double to Ruggiero in the fifth, but Mystic was held scoreless in the frame.

Braden Leed (PSU) dealt a three-up, three-down sixth for Mystic.

Righi singled with two-outs and swiped his 15th bag of the summer against the new Vineyard arm, James Beasley (Princeton), but the Schooners were yet again held scoreless despite putting a runner on.

MJ Bollinger (UConn) took the bump for Mystic in the seventh. Bollinger allowed a walk and single to Roper but kept the score deadlocked at 4-3.

Justin Best (Manhattan) singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh and Ruggiero walked. Beasley kept Mystic scoreless in the frame.

The Sharks padded their lead in the eighth when Justin Gouin (Hartford) took the mound for Mystic. Rubio, Ethan Gonzalez (Wichita St.) and Will Shaheen (Duke) ripped three consecutive hits to take a 5-3 lead.

Righi ripped a two-out single and swiped his 16th bag of the summer in the eighth. Righi was left stranded in scoring position.

The Sharks tacked on four in the ninth inning, taking a 9-3 lead.Robert Ogg (Rollins) walked three straight hitters to load the bases before Landon Manzi (Maine) took over for Mystic on the bump. Crain came in to score on an error. Sornas knocked in two runs on a single to right field. Rubino and Sornas worked a double steal, scoring Rubino to give the Sharks a six-run lead.

Ethan Santerre (Salve Regina) came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth. Best wore a pitch and Natividad worked a walk. Best came in to score on a balk. Natividad and Belisario reached on a walks and poor defense from the Sharks kept them alive. Casey Wensley (Bryant) hit a slow roller and an overthrow allowed two to score. Jack Volo (Georgetown) came in to record the final out and seal the win.

The Schooners are back in action on Saturday, July 11 at Bristol. First pitch from Muzzy Field is set for 6:30 pm.