By: Shannon Bickert

The Schooners took game one of the double header against Danbury on Thursday, July 16, defeating the Westerners 6-4. Mystic moved to 20-12 on the summer with the win.

Jack Harley (Stetson) led off the game with a single up the middle. Anthony Ruggiero (URI) and Justin Best (Manhattan) both wore pitches to load the bases. Cole Kochanowicz (Lehigh) worked himself in and out of the jam, holding Mystic scoreless in the first.

Mike Poncini (Georgetown) tossed an efficient nine-pitch first, retiring the Westerners in order.

Ryan Preisano (WFU) led off the bottom of the second with Danbury’s first hit of the contest, and Ronan Donahue (SHU) followed with a single to right field. Jack Lutte (Denison) loaded the bases for Danbury, working a walk. Sam Gettinger (Hofstra) plated two runs on a single to left field.

Harley picked up his second hit of the day to lead off the third inning. Harley swiped second, but Kochanowicz stranded the baserunner in scoring position.

The Westerners made their first call to the bullpen in the top of the first to Aidan Vargas (Marist). Jamie Zee (Notre Dame) drew a walk against Vargas, but the Schooners were unable to capitalize.

In his final inning of work in the fourth, Poncini dealt a three-up, three-down frame with two strikeouts.

Mystic answered in the fifth frame. Gabe Natividad (Xavier) worked a two-out walk, and Anthony Ruggiero (URI) launched a ball over the right-center field fence to tie things up at two all.

Connor Shaw (SDSU) took the mound for Mystic in the bottom of the fifth. The Westerners loaded the bases, but Shaw kept the score knotted at two.

Joel Collado (URI) singled off the new Danbury arm, Cole Gibson (UNH), in the sixth. Zee followed with a bloop single to center field. Gavin O’Brien (UNH) gave Mystic the lead with an RBI knock to right. Thomas O’Connell (UVA) added onto the lead with a two-run double to right-center field, giving the Schooners the 5-2 lead.

Nick Coniglio (Northeastern) walked the first hitter he faced in the bottom of the sixth, but struck out the next three Westerners’ he faced to toss a scoreless inning.

Michael Delph (Samford) took the bump in the top of the seventh for Danbury. Best launched a solo shot to right field, giving the Schooners a four-run advantage.

The Westerners put together a late rally against Connor Lane (UConn) in the seventh inning. Aidan Stern (Trinity) worked a walk, setting up Gavin Donahue for a two-run blast to right field to cut the deficit to two. The rally was not enough, as Lane finished out the frame.