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Clark Leads Navs Past Mystic in Second Straight Shutout

06/25/2023 6:30 PM

NORWICH, Conn. -- The North Shore Navigators pitched their second consecutive shutout as they limited the host Mystic Schooners to two hits on the way to a 3-0 win in Sunday evening’s New England Collegiate Baseball League game at Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium.

North Shore moved to 6-10 following its third win within the last four games. Coastal Division rival Mystic slipped to 9-6.

Beverly native Brayden Clark (Salve Regina) was the second straight North Shore starter to post a scoreless outing, allowing just two hits, three walks and striking out two over seven innings. Relievers Colin Brodeur (Florida Southwestern State) and Nick Davis (Northeastern) each pitched 1-2-3 innings to complete the shutout.

Catcher Matt Chatelle (Merrimack) and first baseman Mike La Rocca (Florida Atlantic) logged run-scoring hits in the second and third innings, respectively, to lead the North Shore offense.

Defensively, the North Shore infield turned three double plays, while Chatelle also gunned down two of Mystic’s last three runners attempting to steal second base.

With a pinch-running appearance in the eighth inning, utility player Jake McElroy (Holy Cross) matched the North Shore franchise record with his 130th career game played over three-plus summers with the club.

North Shore drew first blood with their first of three single runs in as many innings in the second. Left fielder Stan DeMartinis III (Bentley) drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second as second baseman Brendan Jones (Holy Cross) singled two batters later. Chatelle drove in the opening run with a two-out, two-strike double to left.

Third baseman Jake Berger’s (Harvard) walk at the top of the third started another rally. Center fielder Peter Messervy (Harvard) followed with a single through the left side before designated hitter Jackson Hornung (Kansas State) walked to load the bases. After Mystic southpaw Matthew Fletcher (Lasell) relieved starter Nick DeCarlo (Felician), La Rocca added to the Navs’ lead with an RBI single to left. 

North Shore could have further extended its lead if it were not for runners being cut down at the plate on each of its first two run-scoring plays.

Clark and the Navs’ defense made the two first runs stand up, however, as Jones turned a 4-6-3 double play to erase a leadoff walk in the second and Chatelle made a diving catch on a foul pop that set up a line-drive double play to end the third inning.

The Navs made it a 3-0 game in the fourth. Shortstop Henry Kaczmar (Ohio State) beat out a leading bunt single and stole second to begin the inning. After a Jones groundout moved Kaczmar up 90 more feet, right fielder DJ Pacheco (Richmond) drove a sacrifice fly to left to score him.

Shortstop JT Navyac (Cal State Fullerton) recorded both of Mystic’s hits. DeCarlo pitched the first two innings of the loss, and Fletcher worked over the next 3.2.

The Navs return home for another divisional matchup at 6:35 p.m. Monday against the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks. North Shore will also host the Sanford Mainers Tuesday before hitting the road again for a pair of games in Vermont.