Navs fall to Laconia; playoff scenario still up in air

Dario Pizzano extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a two-run triple in a 5-4 loss to Laconia.

The playoff-destined North Shore Navigators had a chance to clinch the second seed in the Eastern Division playoff race and home-field in the opening playoff series on Sunday night at Fraser Field. Because the third-place Sanford Mainers fell 5-3 at the hands of Newport, the door opened for North Shore to grab the No. 2 spot with a victory over the Laconia Muskrats.

Nonetheless, Laconia was able to hold off the Navigators by a final score of 5-4, leaving many playoff scenarios still up in the air. Those questions will however get answered on Monday in what marks the final day of the regular season for the Navigators.

Because both teams lost, North Shore remains 1.5 games up on Sanford in the East, with a head-to-head matchup slated tonight between both teams (6:15 p.m.) at Fraser Field. Sanford will also be in action at Laconia earlier in the day and needs a victory there to maintain its shot at taking the No. 2 seed from the Navigators.

On Sunday, the Navs had a chance to pull even in the eighth inning after singles by Conner Mach (Missouri) and Michael Dunster (Clemson). Peabody native Pat Holleran (Tusculum) followed with a single of his own to drive in Mach and make it 5-4. At that point, Laconia summoned reliever Harry Glynne from the bullpen, who promptly struck out Cody Dent (Florida) before getting Saulyer Saxon (Oklahoma State) to fly to right to escape the threat.

North Shore also added one in the seventh on a Matt Boulter (Southern New Hampshire) sac fly to make it 5-3 after Dario Pizzano’s (Columbia) two-run triple in the sixth made it 5-2. In the third, Laconia got on the board on All-Star Chris Costantino’s two-run triple and added another in later in the inning when Dylan Kelly’s single scored Costantino. The Muskrats then made it 4-0 in the fourth on a sac fly by James Beck and added another in the fifth on a throwing error by Mach.

Pregame: Muskrats @ Navigators

The Game
The Navigators have already clinched a playoff berth entering tonight’s game with the Laconia Muskrats, although their seed within the Eastern Division playoff picture has yet to be determined. They are currently 1.5 games up on Sanford, which will be at Newport tonight, with two games remaining. The Navs can clinch the No. 2 spot tonight with a win and a Sanford loss. If that scenario does not take course, Sanford still has three games to play, including a head-to-head matchup tomorrow at Fraser Field with North Shore. The head-to-head series determines any potential tiebreakers, but the Navs own a 3-2 advantage in that category, which adds more importance to tomorrow’s game. Meanwhile, Laconia lost 8-6 last night to the first-place Gulls and currently has a one-game lead on New Bedford for the final postseason spot in the East.

Starting Pitchers
NS – RHP Nolan Corr (2-1, 5.32)
LAC – LHP England Smith (1-2, 8.53)
Right-hander Nolan Corr (Wheaton) brings his 2-1 record into tonight’s matchup, which will mark his third start of the season. Corr has made 15 appearances on the season pitching primarily out of the bullpen before being inserted into the rotation on July 25 at Newport. He got a no decision after allowing two runs over five innings of work in that outing. Lefty England Smith makes his eighth appearance (and sixth start) for the Muskrats and currently owns a 1-2 record and 8.53 ERA. He last pitched on July 25, allowing three earned over 1.2 innings of relief in a 26-4 blowout loss to the Holyoke Blue Sox. His last start came back on July 12 in a 9-5 loss to Newport. Smith only lasted an inning in the ballgame and allowed three runs on four hits.

The Lineup
Saulyer Saxon cf
Clinton Harwick dh
Eric Jagielo lf
Dario Pizzano rf
Conner Mach 3b
Matt Boulter 1b
Michael Dunster 2b
Pat Holleran c
Cody Dent ss

All-Star starter Dario Pizzano (Columbia) extended his hitting streak to 17 games last night with a seventh-inning single. He is hitting .397 (29-for-73) with 12 RBI, 16 runs, and 10 multi-hit games in that span. The potential league MVP is currently second in the NECBL with a .379 season average and also leads the league in hits (53), is tied for first in doubles (12), and has struck out just 12 times in 140 at-bats.

Meanwhile, Saulyer Saxon (Oklahoma State) has hit safely in eight of his last nine games and is hitting .375 (18-for-48) with five multi-hit games over that stretch, including a four-hit showing on July 20. He was hitting as low as .220 on July 6 but is now up to .306 on the season.

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Navs cap 6-0 season against Tide

The North Shore Navigators won their sixth straight this season last night against Old Orchard, capping off perfect 2011 campaign against
the struggling Tide with a 9-1 win. Starting pitcher Michael Johnson (Dartmouth) got the win to even his record at 4-4, allowing just one run – none earned – over five innings. He made way to four relievers who one-hit the Tide from the sixth inning through the ninth. Saulyer Saxon (Oklahoma State) doubled on his way to a three-hit night to lead the way offensively.

The Navs plated two runs in the third on a pair of sac flies before exploding for five runs in the sixth. Eric Jagielo (Notre Dame) hit a solo blast to lead off the inning before Eric Williams’ (Columbia) two-run single made it 5-1. Chase Harrison (Cypress JC) later had an RBI single and Cody Dent (Florida) also added a sac fly.

Playoff-bound Navigators fall to Bay Sox

Clinton Harwick went 4-for-5 with two runs scored to raise his average to .316 on the season.

With a postseason berth already intact, the North Shore Navigators looked to solidify its positioning within the Eastern Division playoff picture on Friday against the New Bedford Bay Sox at Paul Walsh Field. But the Navigators, despite scoring four times in the eighth inning to transform a five-run deficit into a one-run game, fell 7-5 to the Bay Sox.

Down 6-1 in the eighth, North Shore’s Saulyer Saxon (Oklahoma State) reached on an error before Clinton Harwick (pictured, Point Loma Nazarene), who had a four-hit night, singled to put two on with one out. After a Dario Pizzano (Columbia) single loaded the bases, Conner Mach (Missouri) emptied them with a bases-clearing double. He then moved up to third on a single by Eric Williams (Columbia) before taking home on a wild pitch to make it a one-run ballgame.

New Bedford added an insurance run against reliever Dan Slania (Notre Dame) in the bottom half, but North Shore responded by putting the tying run on with one out in the ninth inning. Mach then hit what appeared to be a clean single to left, but Eric Jagielo (Notre Dame) was forced to hold up to make sure the ball dropped before he was thrown out at third on the fielder’s choice. Williams followed the Mach at-bat by popping up the first pitch he saw to end the ballgame.

The victory for New Bedford marked its first win of the season over the Navs, who took the season-series 5-1. Still, the Navigators currently maintain the second spot in the division, 1.5 games ahead of the third-place Sanford Mainers.

The Newport Gulls have already clinched the East, due in large part to an eight-game winning streak, meaning the Navs will look to lock down the No. 2 spot with three games remaining in order to attain home-field in the opening playoff series, which will begin on Tuesday.

Harwick also scored twice on his way to his four-hit performance, while Williams and Michael Dunster (Clemson) also had two hits apiece for the Navigators. Pizzano extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a 2-for-4 night and is now hitting .412 (28-for-68) with 12 RBI and 15 runs scored over that stretch. He also has 10 multi-hit games in that span.

Five Navigators partake in NECBL All-Star Game

Navs outfielder Eric Jagielo had an RBI in the 2011 NECBL All-Star Game at Fraser Field.

Navs reliever Miles Landry threw a scoreless inning in the All-Star Game on Wednesday.

The Eastern Division All-Stars kept the West offense at bay last night in the 2011 NECBL All-Star Game in front of 2,112 in attendance at Fraser Field, the home of the North Shore Navigators. The East struck out 11 total in the ballgame while all but one of the nine pitchers recorded a strikeout.

For the Navigators, Eric Jagielo (Notre Dame) had an RBI groundout in the fifth inning despite a 0-for-3 night. Potential league MVP Dario Pizzano (Columbia) also went hitless but currently leads the NECBL in hitting with a .385 average. The pair of outfielders both started the annual event for the East with Jagielo in the No.3 hole and Pizzano hitting fifth.

Reserve infielder Clinton Harwick (Point Loma Nazarene) went 0-for-1 with a walk in the victory.

On the mound, reliever Miles Landry (Baylor) pitched a scoreless second inning and recorded one strikeout. The sophomore currently has a perfect 0.00 ERA in 20 innings pitched on the season.

Fellow reliever Matt Alvarez (Boston College) also threw a scoreless sixth inning with two strikeouts.

Navigators starter Hunter Rivers (Jacksonville State) was originally scheduled to start for the East, but an injury forced him out of last night’s event.

In the East’s half of the third, Kyle Johnson (Newport) reached on an error to score Tim Quinn (Laconia) for the game’s first run. Brett Mollenhauer’s (Sanford) RBI single then plated Jack Reinheimer (Newport) to make it 2-0. Mollenhauer was later named the game MVP in a brief post-game ceremony.

NECBL All-Star Pregame

Starting Pitchers
West – RHP Jeff Thompson (2-2, 2.08)
East – LHP Justin Wiley (3-1, 2.43)
Junior lefthander Justin Wiley (Iona College) will represent the Laconia Muskrats as tonight’s All-Star starter for the East. He will go up against West starter Jeff Thompson (Louisville) from the Keene Swamp Bats. Wiley is 3-1 with a 2.43 ERA and has 27 strikeouts in 37 innings pitched. At Iona this past spring, Wiley went 6-5 with a 2.97 ERA in 14 games (13 starts). He replaces sophomore Hunter Rivers (Jacksonville State) of the Navigators, who was selected to serve as the East starter before an injury. He is 3-0 with a 1.84 ERA in eight starts and has 25 strikeouts in 33.2 innings pitched. Thompson, a 6-6 freshman right-hander, is currently 2-2 with a 2.08 ERA in seven starts this season. He is second in the NECBL with 49 strikeouts in just 34.2 innings. Thompson went 2-1 with a 2.75 ERA in 18 games (five starts) at Louisville in 2011.

East Lineup
Kyle Johnson cf (Newport)
Brett Mollenhauer 2b (Sanford)
Eric Jagielo lf (North Shore)
Tim Kiene 1b (Newport)
Dario Pizzano rf (North Shore)
Chris Burke dh (Laconia)
Tom Richards (Newport)
Tim Quinn c (Old Orchard)
Jack Reinheimer ss (Newport)

West Lineup
Tanner Krietemeier cf (Danbury)
Alex Chittenden ss (Keene)
Brett DeLoach dh (Keene)
Ronnie Freeman c (Holyoke)
Kevin Brown cf (Keene)
Trey Mancini 1b (Holyoke)
Dave Opel rf (Danbury)
Brett Doran 3b (Mystic)
Paul McConkey 2b (Holyoke)

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Navs to host All-Star Game today

Tuesday’s 7-0 shutout win over Sanford marks the perfect transition into Wednesday’s NECBL All-Star Game, which will be hosted by the Navigators at Fraser Field. First pitch is at 6:15 p.m. and tickets are still available for the event.

“It’s our mission as an organization to be looked upon as a model franchise within the league,” said general manager Peter Delani. “We expect to have other team and league executives in attendance in addition to a number of regional scouts, so we’re looking forward to a putting on a large-scale event.”

Gates will open at 3:00 p.m. for fans as batting practice for both the East and West All-Stars gets underway. Six Navigators will represent in the East.

“We’re more than pleased and extremely excited to host the game this year,” said team owner Tim Haley. “It’s an important event and something we’ve been looking forward to for over a year.”

Taking part in the All-Star festivities at Fraser will be outfielders Dario Pizzano (Columbia) and Eric Jagielo (Notre Dame), infielder Clinton Harwick (Point Loma), and pitchers Matt Alvarez (Boston College), Miles Landry (Baylor), and Hunter Rivers (Jacksonville State).

The Navs added another later in the fifth on an RBI single by Matt Boulter (Southern New Hampshire) before tacking on a run in both the eighth and ninth innings.

NAVS NOTES: To purchase tickets for today’s All-Star Game, call the team box office at (781) 595-9400. Fans can also select seats online at www.nsnavs.com.

Navs shut out Sanford

The North Shore Navigator shut out the Sanford Mainers 7-0 on Tuesday afternoon at Fraser Field as they enter the brief two-day All-Star break having won five of their last eight and are currently second in the NECBL Eastern Division.

The victory moved the Navs a game ahead of the Mainers in the standings, as a potential North Shore-Sanford postseason matchup may be taking shape. Starting pitcher Junior Mendez (Southern New Hampshire) threw five innings of two-hit ball to get his third win of the season. Mendez threw 40 of his 60 pitches for strikes and had six strikeouts on the afternoon.

He made way to four relievers, who allowed just one hit over four innings to complete the three-hit shutout.

North Shore broke a scoreless tie in the fourth to make it 3-0 on three doubles from Dario Pizzano (Columbia), Conner Mach (Missouri) and Chase Harrison (Cypress). Pizzano extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a 2-for-4 night and is hitting .413 (26-for-63) over that stretch. The Saugus native also currently leads the entire NECBL with a .385 average.

Teammate Eric Jagielo (Notre Dame) also extended his hitting to 16 games with an RBI single in the fifth. He is hitting .424 during that span and has nine multi-hit performances throughout the streak.

To no surprise, both Pizzano and Jagielo will be taking part in  All-Star festivities at Fraser on Wednesday at Fraser Field as the team hosts the annual event.

The Navs added another later in the fifth on an RBI single by Matt Boulter (Southern New Hampshire) before tacking on a run in both the eighth and ninth innings.

Pregame: Mainers @ Navigators

The Game
The Navigators will take on the Sanford Mainers today in a crucial matchup with potential playoff implications. North Shore and Sanford both enter this afternoon’s matchup 4.5 games back of the first-place Newport Gulls, meaning the two teams will battle today for what may help decide the second seed in the Eastern Division postseason scenario. As things are currently aligned, the Navigators and Mainers are solid bets to square off against each other in the East Quarterfinals, but because the season-series is also deadlocked at 2-2, this afternoon’s game could be a serious factor in determining home field in the first-round of the playoffs. Sanford will also visit Fraser Field in the regular-season finale next Monday. The Mainers are coming off a 10-3 win over Old Orchard last night, while the Navigators lost on a walk-off passed ball in Newport.

Starting Pitchers
NS – RHP Junior Mendez (2-1, 3.72)
SAN – RHP Jonathan Balentina (0-2, 4.30)
Right-hander Junior Mendez (Southern New Hampshire) gets the start this afternoon for North Shore after being tagged with his first loss of the season his last time out against Newport on July 21. He allowed four runs – three earned – on eight hits over five innings and is 2-1 in four starts with a 5.40 ERA since being inserted in the starting rotation on July 3. For the Mainers, Jonathan Balentina starts this afternoon versus Mendez. The redshirt freshman from the University of Maine has a 0-2 record with a 4.30 ERA on the year and got the no-decision in his last outing in a 3-2 loss at home to Keene. In that one, he allowed two runs on four hits over 6.1 innings pitched with six strikeouts and three walks.

The Lineup
Matt McGovern rf
Clinton Harwick 2b
Eric Jagielo lf
Dario Pizzano dh
Conner Mach 3b
Matt Boulter 1b
Chase Harrison c
Saulyer Saxon cf
Cody Dent ss

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Navs can’t maintain ninth-inning lead

After scoring twice in the ninth to take a 3-2 lead on Monday against the Newport Gulls, the Navigators ultimately gave it right back as a result of an error, a dropped third strike, a wild pitch and a walk-off passed ball in a 4-3 loss to the first-place rival.

After All-Star closer Matt Alvarez (Boston College) came on to try and shut the door for the Navigators, Jack Reinheimer reached with one out on a dropped third strike in what proved to be a sloppy ninth inning for the Navigators. Newport’s No. 9 hitter Jeff Mellilo then singled on a 0-2 pitch to bring All-Star Kyle Johnson to the plate.

Johnson, the speedy leadoff hitter for the Gulls, grounded one to third baseman Conner Mach (Missouri) which could have gone for a game-ending double play. Instead, the throw from second baseman Matt Boulter (SNHU) got away from first baseman Eric Williams (Columbia), which allowed Reinheimer to score the tying run. Williams was charged with the error on the play.

After a walk, Johnson moved to third on a wild pitch from Alvarez. Then, on the eighth pitch of the at-bat to Matt Foat, a passed ball by catcher Chase Harrison (Cypress) allowed Johnson to score, ending the ballgame in brutal fashion.

The win was the Gulls’ fifth straight, as they all but locked up the Eastern Division with the victory, moving to 4.5 games up on the second-place Navigators with less than a week to go in the regular season.

The Navs had tied the game previously in the ninth when Mach reached on an error by All-Star third baseman Tom Richards to begin the inning. After a sacrifice by Williams, Boulter singled to score Mach and make it a 3-3 game. Boulter then went first-to-third on a single by Cody Dent (Florida) before Matt McGovern (Boston College) singled him home to take a 4-3 lead.

Navigators’ All-Star outfielders Eric Jagielo (Notre Dame) and Dario Pizzano (Columbia) both turned in 1-for-4 performances in the loss. As a result, Jagielo extended his current hitting streak to 15 games while Pizzano, the NECBL Player of the Week, lengthened his to 14 straight.