Early Offense Guides Navs Past SwampBats

By Jason Glick

LYNN, Mass. — In Sunday's win over the Ocean State Waves, the North Shore Navigators stole a team-record 11 stolen bases, a mark that wasn't expected to be touched anytime soon.

Just five days later, the Navs (15-14) came one shy with 10 in an 8-4 win over the Keene SwampBats (15-13-1) in Friday's New England College Baseball League action at Fraser Field, where North Shore catapulted to a six-run advantage through four innings.

Wenham native Gian Gamelli (Notre Dame) tossed eight strikeouts in five scoreless innings, while only conceding one hit. Byfield native center fielder Hunter Kingsbury (Bryant) went 3-for-4 with three RBI and five stolen bases. Shortstop Hudson Ellis (Oral Roberts) continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-3 with four runs scored, two RBI and three stolen bases.

Gamelli's first strikeout retired the side in Keene's 1-2-3 first inning. Offensively, Ellis walked and reached second on Kingsbury's single to left. They stole second and third during the ensuing at-bat. On a passed ball, Ellis ventured home to give the Navs a 1-0 lead. 

With runners on the corners during the second, Gamelli threw a triad of swinging strikeouts. The left-hander threw his fifth strikeout during a 1-2-3 third frame. The Navigators tripled their lead that inning, largely due to left fielder Lane Allen's (High Point) baserunning after walking. 

Allen stole second and scored, as Ellis found grass in left field. Kingsbury advanced Ellis to second on a walk. Designated hitter Daniel Leikus (Rhode Island) knocked a single through the left side, and Ellis bolted for a 3-0 lead.

Gamelli erased Keene four batters in the fourth, ending with a swinging strikeout. On the backend, catcher Aidan Sengenberger (Seton Hall) notched the first of three straight Navs hits. He laced a single to left and reached third off third baseman Simmi Whitehill's (Monmouth) double, which bounced impeccably along the left-field line.

First baseman Anderson French's (Dallas Baptist) single to right scored Sengenberger for a four-run edge. Ellis notched his second RBI on a fielder's choice, scoring Whitehill. Ellis stole second and scored to go up 6-0, as Kingsbury flung a ball to center.

Gamelli tossed two more strikeouts in the fifth to reach eight on the day. North Shore had a baserunner for the fourth straight inning, as Sengenberger walked. Left-hander Cameron Keaveney (Southern New Hampshire) relieved Gamelli in the sixth and threw a swinging strikeout.

In the latter half, Allen, who was hit by a pitch, stole second and reached third off Ellis' single to center. Ellis also stole second before they both scored on Kingsbury's double to left for an 8-0 lead.

Keaveney threw two strikeouts across 1-2-3 seventh and eighth stanzas. During the seventh, Sengenberger was hit by a pitch and advanced to third, as Whitehill took second off a shot to left-center. Ellis loaded the bases on a walk. During the eighth, left fielder Jack Rickheim (Harvard) singled.

In the ninth, SwampBats second baseman Gavin Speirs' (Charleston Southern) triple scored right fielder Sean Finn (Saint Joseph's), and he later scored. Then, center fielder Chris Polemeni (UConn) homered to left, scoring left fielder Tanner Bilveau (Mississippi State) to make it 8-4. Still, that didn't change the outcome.

The Navs return to action Saturday at Fraser Field to face the Upper Valley Nighthawks. First pitch is at 5:05 p.m.