By: Shannon Bickert
The Schooners took a dominating 16-4 victory over the Ocean State Waves on Sunday, July 19. Mystic moved to 21-13 on the summer with the win.
Joel Collado (URI) got the Schooners started in the first with a solo shot off Cooper Maher (Duke). The homer was Collado’s third of the summer.
Tristan Aasland (UConn) allowed two hits in the first frame, but got out of the inning unscathed.
Aasland settled in nicely, tossing a 1-2-3 second inning.
The Schooners put up a three-run third frame. Adam Troch (Duke) led off the third inning with a single to right field, and Jack Harley (Stetson) reached second on an error. Collado knocked in two runs with a base hit down the third base line. Anthony Ruggiero (URI) reached for the second time, drawing a walk. Thomas O’Connell (UVA) brought in Collado to score on a groundout to give Mystic the four-run lead.
The Waves answered with a blast of their own in the third. Gavin Marchese (Monroe) singled through the left in the third, setting up Blaize Ward (Vanderbilt) for a two-run blast to right field.
Mystic added to their lead as Joseph Ruffino (FDU) took the ball for the Waves in the fourth inning. Justin Best (Manhattan) led off the frame with a single to center field. Christian Butera (Brown) drew a walk, and both baserunners advanced on a passed ball, setting up Troch for a sacrifice fly. Butera swiped third, allowing Harley to drive in the sixth Schooners run of the night on a bloop single to center. Gavin O’Brien (Northeastern) joined the party, ripping a three-run shot to center field to give Mystic the 9-2 lead.
Sam Fernandez (Stetson) hit a solo shot to right field in the bottom of the fourth.
The Waves turned to a new arm in Colby Barker (UConn) to start the fifth. Barker hit Chris Walsh (Northeaster) by pitch, and Best followed with his second hit of the night. Walsh came in to score on Butera’s sacrifice fly, giving Mystic a seven-run advantage.
The Waves chipped away in the fifth. Marchese knocked his second hit of the day, and Adonis Medina (URI) reached on an error. Ward wore a pitch to load the bases for the Waves, ending Aasland’s night. Liam Chamberlin (Portal) took the ball for the Schooners. Chamberlin hit the first batter he faced, Max Farrell (SDSU), to bring in a run and cut the deficit to six runs.
The Schooners continued to pour on in the sixth when Bryant Yoak (WVU) took the mound for the Waves. Ruggiero reached on an error and stole second. O’Connell reached on a dropped third strike and Ruggiero moved to third, setting up Walsh for an RBI base knock. Butera drew his second walk of the night to juice the bags for the Schooners. Troch wore a pitch to bring O’Connell in to score, and Harley walked to bring in the 13th Mystic run of the day. Dylan McCarthy (Stonehill) entered and stopped the bleeding.
In the eighth, Mystic added on three runs. Butera wore a pitch, and Troch hit an infield single. Harley loaded the bases on a walk. Butera scored on a wild pitch, and Collado walked to reload the bases, ending McCarthy’s night. Jonah Monnes (Swarthmore) came out of the Waves’ bullpen. Monnes surrendered an inherited run on a fielder’s choice. Harley took advantage of a double steal and came in to score Mystic’s 16th run of the contest. O’Brien and O’Connell worked back-to-back walks to load the bases again for Mystic, but the Waves got out of further trouble.
Max Hilsenroth (New Haven) took the bump for Mystic in the bottom of the eighth. Hilsenroth tossed a scoreless inning of work.
Mystic worked three consecutive two-out walks in the ninth, but were held scoreless in the frame.
Hilsenroth closed out the game for Mystic and sealed the win.
The Schooners return home to host the Valley Blue Sox on Monday, July 20. First pitch from Ed Harvey Field is set for 6:30 pm.
