By: Shannon Bickert

The Schooners got back in the win column with a 7-1 win over Bristol, improving their road record to 10-1 on the summer. Mystic moves to 17-10 on the season with the win.

The Schooners took the early advantage on Bristol’s starter, Justin Silverstein (HPU). Casey Wensley (Bryant) knocked a leadoff single to right field. Wensley swiped second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Cam Righi (UConn) drew a walk, putting runners on the corners. Wensley came in to score on a double-steal attempt, where Righi was thrown out at second.

Mystic’s starter, Mike Poncini (Georgetown) tossed a scoreless first inning of work, allowing a hit to Antonio Ducatelli (Fairfield).

Christian Butera (Brown) worked a four-pitch walk in the top of the third. Wensley followed with his second hit of the night, a bloop single into center field. Gabe Natividad (Xavier) wore a pitch to load the bases. Silverstein worked out of the jam, inducing a double-play ball.

Poncini dealt a three-up, three-down third inning.

Anthony Belisario (GWU) led off the fourth with a walk. Jamie Zee (Notre Dame) and Joel Collado (URI) followed with walks of their own to load the bases, ending Silverstein’s night. The Blues turned to Jesse Specter (Shepard), who dealt a walk to the first hitter he faced, Justin Best (Manhattan) for the first Mystic tally of the frame. The walks kept coming as Gavin O’Brien brought home Zee on an RBI walk. Butera plated Collado on a sacrifice fly, giving the Schooners a 4-0 lead.

The Blues answered with a run in the home half of the fourth. Thomas Zwirecki (Rutgers) reached on an error and came in to score on Scott Gell’s (SBU) single.

Mystic got the four-run lead back in the fifth. Belisario ripped a two-out double to right-center field and stole third base. Zee drove in Belisario on a single to center, putting Mystic in front 5-1.

Colin Crowley (Winthrop) doubled down the first base line in the fifth. Mystic made their first call to the bullpen to Calvin Gregory (VCU) who recorded the final out of the frame.

Mason Breton (LIU) took the ball for the Blues in the sixth. Best led off the frame legging out an infield single. O’Brien followed with an infield knock of his own. Butera moved both runners into scoring position on a fly out, setting up Wensley for a sacrifice fly.

Gregory tossed a 1-2-3 sixth inning striking out two.

Scout Updike (Jacksonville) allowed a two-out walk to Collado in the seventh, but Mystic was unable to pad their lead.

The Schooners made a call to the bullpen for Connor Lane (UConn) to record the final out of the seventh.

In the top of the eighth, Wensley recorded his third hit of the night, a two-out single to center field. Wensley swiped second, allowing him to score on an error and give Mystic a six-run lead.

Lane dealt a three-up, three-down eighth inning.

Jonas Aponick (GWU) dealt a leadoff walk to Belisario in the final inning. Collado singled up the middle and O’Brien reached on an error to load the bases. Aponick worked out of the jam holding Mystic scoreless in the ninth.

Jack Balcer (Quinnipiac) doubled in the bottom of the ninth, but Lane shut down the Blues from rallying, sealing the 7-1 win.

The Schooners stay on the road on Sunday, July 12 to face the Sanford Mainers. First pitch is set for 4:30 pm.