In a 1-1 stalemate game filled with good pitching and play across the diamond, the fifth man in the lineup for the Upper Valley Nighthawks Chris Baillargeon walked up to the plate, where he had been hitless so far on the night.
Facing a two-ball, two-strike count, Conor Wolf stared down Baillargeon and delivered a fastball down the middle that Baillargeon crushed into left field. The Blue Sox watched with all the hard work they’d done throughout the game hanging in the balance on one hit, as it soared past the infield and to the back wall.
However, left-fielder Jack Basseer had other plans for the Blue Sox as he rose to make a fantastic grab at the wall to give the Blue Sox the second out of the inning and help the Nighthawks to another scoreless inning.
The game remained 1-1 through nine innings, forcing extra innings. The New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) uses the same extra innings rules as the MLB – both teams have opportunities to score with a runner on second base at the start of each half.
With Logan Hugo on third base after he stole a base in the top of 10th, Michael Toth hits a sacrifice single as Hugo runs home. After a late throw home from the pitcher, Hugo was ruled safe and the stalemate was finally broken.
Shortly after, Justin Butler hit a massive double, bringing both Frankie Ferrentino and Michael Toth home to increase the lead to 4-1, sealing the win for the Blue Sox on Tuesday.
“I just dug in my normal approach that I have,” Butler said. “It’s been working out for me but surely out tonight, so happy to happen and glad the Sox gotta win for sure.”
Gregory Shaw started on the mound for the Blue Sox, pitching over four innings with four strikeouts and only giving up one earned run off three hits.
Upper Valley did not go down without a fight either, with Joseph Purcell starting the game on the mound. Purcell only gave up one earned run off three hits in three innings. It was a solid game for the senior out of Slippery Rock University, but in the end, the Blue Sox took this game from the Nighthawks through their brick wall defense across the diamond.
“It was a very gritty game and you got to tip our cap to the pitching staff of the Nighthawks and even their hitters, too,” Butler said. “I mean, they swung it well and they pitched so well. So it was just that we had to score more than them, and luckily we came out on top tonight.”
The next game for the Blue Sox will be Wednesday night back at Mackenzie Stadium against the North Adams Steeplecats, with the first pitch shortly after 6:35 p.m. EDT on ESPN+ and the NECBL network.
