By: Shannon Bickert
Mystic split their double header with Danbury, falling in game two 15-5 on Thursday, July 16. With the loss, Mystic moved to 20-12 on the summer.
Danbury’s starter, Tyler Stone (VT), tossed a three-up, three-down first inning of work.
The Westerners got on the board in the first against Ashton Arroyo (Georgetown). Kyle Garbowski (Quinnipiac) led off the frame with a base hit and Gavin Donohue (SHU) worked a walk. Garbowski stole third, setting up Jack Presiano (WFU) for the sacrifice fly.
Mystic answered with a blast in the second inning. Justin Best (Manhattan) tallied Mystic’s first hit of the night, a two-out single to left-center field, and advanced to second on an error. Gavin O’Brien (Northeastern) got Mystic started with a two-run shot, his first home run of the summer, to put the Schooners up 2-1.
The Westerners put up an eight-spot in the second inning. Jack Edmunds (Brown) led off the bottom of the second with a line drive single off the fence. Michael Delph (Samford) and Aidan Stern (Trinity) both worked walks to load the bases, ending Arroyo’s night. Mystic called on Zev Salsberg (Bryant) out of the bullpen. Gavin Donohue walked, bringing in Edmunds to tie the game. Ronan Donohue (SHU) plated two on a single up the middle. Danbury continued to pour on; Lutte ripped a three-run homer to right field, and Edmunds hit the second long ball of the frame for the Westerners, a two-run blast, giving Danbury a 9-2 lead.
The Schooners got one back in the third. Christian Butera (Brown) led off with a double off the left field fence. Jack Harley (Stetson) plated Butera on a knock down the right field line.
Braden Leed (PSU) took the bump for Mystic in the bottom of the third. Stern reached on an error, and Gavin Donohue made Mystic pay, hitting a rocket over the left field fence, extending Danbury’s lead to eight runs.
Thomas O’Connell (UVA) and Chris Walsh (Northeastern) drew walks to open the fourth, but Mystic was unable to capitalize.
Danbury continued to tack on in the fourth. Leed walked four straight to open the frame, and gave up a two-run knock to Jack Lutte (Denison). Leed’s night ended after dealing a walk to Collin Mowry (Louisville), leaving the bases loaded for Mystic’s new arm, Landon Manzi (Maine). Gavin Donohue scored on a wild pitch, giving the Westerners a 15-3 lead.
Jackson DiLorenzo (Portal) took the bump in the fifth for the Westerners. Anthony Ruggiero (URI) hit his second homer of the double header, a solo blast to right field. Jamie Zee (Notre Dame) followed with a home run of his own, putting Mystic within 10 runs.
Teagan Beames (Quinnipiac) retired the Schooners in order in the sixth.
Butera hit an infield single off the new arm, Tyler Fahey (Trinity), in the ninth, but Fahey was able to shut down the Schooners.
The Schooners take an off day before heading to Rhode Island to face the Ocean State Waves on Saturday, July 18. First pitch is set for 6:30 pm.
