781-316-6656

News

Navs Suffer Defeat Sunday After Ocean State Rallies Late

06/11/2023 5:35 PM

LYNN, Mass. — A late flurry of runs lifted the Ocean State Waves to a 3-1 comeback victory over the North Shore Navigators Sunday evening at Fraser Field.

With the result, both teams moved to a 2-3 record.

Starting pitcher Brett Dunham (Northeastern) was excellent in his four innings on the mound, including a dominant third inning in which the North Andover native fanned the side. He finished with five strikeouts.

The Navs scored to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth after an RBI single by designated hitter Tanner Zellem (Tennessee) drove home left fielder Evan Griffis (Stetson). 

Lynn native Anthony Mateo (Alabama A&M) relieved Dunham for the top of the fifth, working around a leadoff walk to spin a scoreless inning. A strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out double play to end the inning punctuated the frame.

Relievers Colin Brodeur (Florida Southwestern) and Swampscott native Pierce Friedman (Stonehill) followed suit with scoreless innings. Kaden Humphrey (Stetson) and Cooper McGrath (Northeastern) also saw action for North Shore. Through seven innings, the Waves had only tallied three hits — and only one that touched the outfield grass. 

Ocean State, though, tied things up in the top of the eighth. David Mershon (Mississippi State) dropped a pinch-hit bunt for  a base hit, and stole second base on the next pitch. Then, he scored on catcher Matthew Graveline’s (Ohio State) RBI single to left field. 

The Waves scored twice to take a decisive 3-1 lead the following inning. Left fielder Drew Holderbach (Rice) ripped a triple to right field, and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Mershon tacked on an insurance run with a flair that dropped into shallow right field and drove home Christian Ficca (Georgetown). 

Brooks Ey (Indiana) notched the win for the Waves with two scoreless relief innings, and Austin Wainer (Bryant) earned the save for Ocean State with a 1-2-3 ninth. Cooper took the loss for North Shore.

Center fielder Peter Messervy (Harvard), Griffis, Zellem and catcher Matt Chattelle (Merrimack) accounted for the Navs’ only four hits in the game. North Shore’s pitching staff finished with 10 strikeouts.

Sunday’s game kicked off a four game homestand at Fraser Field, which will run through Thursday. North Shore will take on Coastal Division foe and reigning league champion Martha’s Vineyard Sharks on Monday at 6:35 p.m.