postGame: Navigators @ Mainers

The Sanford Mainers (2-1) advanced to the East Division Finals, holding off the North Shore Navigators (1-2) to win 5-3.

…it was a fitting conclusion to a tremendous season.  both teams fought hard, played a tense, tight game with each team’s pitchers coming through in big spots.  kent graham was back at it for north shore with an rbi double and an rbi triple, while mike dowd homered, but the navigators never led after sanford jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings.  sanford and north shore had split the first eight meetings between the two teams, and it was only right for the ninth game to be decided in the ninth inning when ben waldrip, representing the tying run, scorched a grounder to michael roth at first who flipped to tyler mizenko to get waldrip by a step and send the mainers to the east division finals against the newport gulls…

Left to right: Jeremy Kreisberg, Kevin Dillon, Michael Hutchinson, Alex Harrington, Michael Ternullo

I also want to take this opportunity to thank the North Shore Navigators media relations crew, pictured above (minus Mike Ghika), for their hard work all season long.

postGame: Mainers @ Navigators

In Game 2 of the Sanford-North Shore playoff series, the Navigators managed to hold off the Mainers for a 3-2 win to even up the series at a game apiece. The Navs got to Sanford starter Ken Monteith for three runs and four hits in the first, and it proved to be all that they would need.

Jim Schult picked up the win in relief, going 2.1 innings in which he allowed just two hits after Navs’ starter Jason Markovitz went 4.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits. Matt Lewis and Garret Smith combined to pitch the eighth before closer Chris Kowalski pitched a perfect 1-2-3 ninth for the save.

With Sanford on top 5-2 in Sunday night’s Game 1 of the three-game playoff series, play had to be suspended in the 5th inning due to fog, and the contest was picked up earlier this afternoon at Fraser Field with Sanford as the home team. The Navs got two in the sixth to make it 5-4, but that would be all that they got, pushing their backs against the wall before their Game 2 victory.

The decisive Game 3 will be played at Goodall Park tomorrow night in Sanford at 6:30 P.M.

Game One: Suspended

Suspended Game Resumes at 3:30 P.M.: Baseball begins earlier than expected at Fraser Field today, as the Mainers and Navigators complete game one of their Quarterfinal Playoff Series.  The Mainers were leading 3-2 before a fly ball was lost in the fog scoring two more runs in the fifth inning and prompting the stoppage.  The game will resume with Dylan Pratt at second base, two outs in the fifth inning, and the Mainers leading the Navigators 5-2.  Jeff Tardiff was on the mound when the game was stopped.

…it’s a shame it had to happen when it did.  the fog was heavy from the beginning of the game through the suspension, but it took a lost fly ball to prompt the stoppage.  as you can see from the picture above, it would have been unsafe to resume last night’s game.  the umpires had no choice but to wait until a ball was lost to stop last night’s game, but north shore was certainly slighted by the circumstances last night…

Playoff Baseball Returns to Lynn: The North Shore Navigators have earned a playoff-berth for the second time in as many years.  The Navigators moved from Holyoke to Lynn for the 2008 season, after Jason Falcon led the Holyoke Giants to the playoffs in 2007 with a 26-16 record.  In 2008, the Navigators were 26-16, two games behind the Sanford Mainers for first place in the former North Division.  North Shore was upset in the first round by the Keene Swamp Bats, who edged the Navs 1-0 at Fraser Field before winning a slugfest at Alumni Field 10-7, despite five North Shore home runs.  The Sanford Mainers won the 2008 NECBL Championship with only one postseason loss.

Season Series: Sanford and North Shore split the six games played between the two teams in 2009, with each road team stealing two games at the opposition ballpark.  The Navigators won the first two games, defeating the Mainers at Fraser Field on Opening Night before winning at Goodall Park six days later behind Jason Markovitz.  After Sanford answered with a 3-0 victory against Jeff Tardiff at home, North Shore won for the second consecutive time in Sanford as Michael Zaccardo and the North Shore bats combined for a 10-7 win.  The Mainers have won the two most recent meetings, as Ken Monteith avenged his opening night loss with a 5-0 victory at Fraser Field before the Mainers clinched home-field advantage in the series with a 2-1 win on July 29 in Sanford.

Dennis’ Streak Continues: Tre Dennis, who singled and walked in six at-bats at Manchester on Thursday, reached base safely in 33 consecutive games to end the regular season.  Dennis’ 16-game hitting streak was snapped 16 games ago in Lowell, when he went 0-3.  Dennis, who has started 37 of 38 games this season in center-field as the lead-off hitter, was 24-63 (.381) with four RBI and 14 runs scored during the hitting streak.

Brady’s Back: Patrick Brady, the East Division All-Star Team starting second baseman, has turned it on of late in preparation for playoff baseball.  In his last five games, Patrick Brady is 7-16 (.438) with a double, a triple, a home run, three RBI, four runs scored, four walks, and a sacrifice fly.  Brady has been shining defensively as well, playing shortstop recently after beginning the season as the regular second baseman for North Shore.

Divine Intervention: Trinity College junior Kent Graham returned to North Shore on June 30, after spending the 2007 season with the Holyoke Giants and following Jason Falcon, Jim Woods, and Philip Rosenfield to Lynn for the 2008 season.  Graham has been a blessing for the 2009 Navigators order, hitting a team-high .357 since joining the squad.  In his last five games, Graham is 9-18 (.500) with four doubles and five runs batted in.

Tyler Ruehls: North Shore’s July 15 roster-deadline addition is paying huge dividends, as Tyler Ruehlman has quickly become one of the most consistent hitters on the team.  Ruehlman has hits in 12 of 13 games played, tied franchise records with two doubles against Manchester on July 16 and seven at-bats against New Bedford on July 25, and provided the game-winning RBI single in the 14^th inning to send North Shore to an epic 2-1 victory over the Bay Sox.  Ruehlman finished the regular season at .322 with six RBI.

postGame: Gulls @ Navigators

The North Shore Navigators (20-19) lost for the sixth time in six games against the Newport Gulls (30-10) by the score of 9 to 3.

…newport scored three times in the fifth inning and four times in the sixth inning and swept the season series against the navigators this year.  with sanford winning tonight, north shore is now three games behind the mainers for home field in the first round of the playoffs…

North Shore opens up a three-game road-trip tomorrow night against the Mainers at Goodall Park (6:30 P.M.).

postGame: Swamp Bats @ Navigators

The Keene Swamp Bats (26-12) scored five times in the first inning against starting pitcher Mike Gallo (3-3) and never looked back, defeating the North Shore Navigators (19-18) 8-3 Sunday at Fraser Field.

The Navigators would have clinched a playoff berth in the 2009 NECBL postseason with a win, but Keene scored eight runs through three innings off Gallo and reliever Glen Misho. North Shore will have another chance to clinch a playoff berth tonight when the Manchester Silkworms visit Lynn for the final time this season.

Swamp Bats starter Dan White (3-3) lasted five innings, allowing three runs without walking a batter. White surrendered a two-run home run to Matt Marquis, his second of the year, to account for two of North Shore’s three runs. Marquis, a 28th-round selection of the Boston Red Sox in the 2008 MLB Draft, has 12 RBI in his last 14 games. Tyler Ruehlman drove in Tre Dennis, who has reached base safely in 29 consecutive games, with the first Navigators run last night. The story of the night for the Navigators, however, was the relief pitching of Glen Misho. Misho allowed one run through 6.1 innings, while striking out five. The UMass-Amherst right-hander retired the final 15 batters to face him, tossing 1-2-3 innings from the fifth to the eighth. Matt Lewis retired the only three batters to face him, giving the Navigators’ bullpen 18 consecutive outs to end the game.

Adam Conley pitched the final four innings to record his first save for Keene. North Shore hopes to clinch a spot in the NECBL playoffs for the second time in as many years when the Manchester Silkworms visit Fraser Field tonight (7) with ace pitcher Jeff Tardiff (3-2, 1.39) on the hill.

postGame: Navigators @ Gulls

Last night the North Shore Navigators were defeated for the 5th time this season by the Newport Gulls who cruised to a 9-3 victory clinching the Eastern Division at Cardines Field.

News: Last Night’s Game

Last night’s game against the Sanford Mainers, which was postponed at 8:30 due to showers across New England, will be made up on July 29 at 6:30 from Goodall Park.

…i apologize for the lack of updates, but internet is not available in the goodall park press box…

Each game in the NECBL was postponed due to rain last night.  Tonight, clear skies are expected in Lowell as the Navigators attempt to reduce their magic number to five at Stoklosa Alumni Field (6:3o start).

postGame: Navigators @ Westerners

This one was a grudge match but despite Jim Schult’s valiant seven inning two run effort, North Shore (17-13) just fell short to Danbury (13-17), 3-2. The game was tied up when North Shore scored in the top half of the eighth until Danbury clawed their way back into it in the bottom of the inning taking the lead, allowing their closer and Western Divison All-Star Sean Keeler to shut the door and pick up their 13th win of the season.

postGame: Navigators @ All-Americans

The All-Americans (7-16) managed to strike early to put this one away fast, scoring seven runs through the first three innings to beat North Shore (17-12) 14-6.  Lowell outfielder, David Gustafson had a day to remember going 4-4 while knocking in four.  Gustafson reached base five times in the game and was the key to an All-Americans victory.

postGame: Blue Sox @ Navigators

The North Shore Navigators (17-11) defeated the Holyoke Blue Sox (13-13) by the score of 4 to 2.

…jeff tardiff was excellent on the mound for noth shore, going 7.1 innings and allowing two runs, while ben waldrip drove in two runs to support tardiff, who collected his third of the season.  tyler ruehlman tallied his first rbi and run scored as a navigator, while tre dennis extended his hitting streak to 15 games.  north shore snapped their three game losing streak to avoid setting a franchise high for most consecutive losses…

The Navigators travel to Lowell tomorrow tonight to battle the All-Americans at Stoklosa Alumni Field.