The Blue Sox hold off North Shore rally in 7-6 win

By Kate Endres

LYNN- The Valley Blue Sox held on late to beat the North Shore Navigators, 7-6, on Thursday night at Fraser Field. Valley (4-1-1) survived a late scare as a six-run lead nearly disappeared in a single inning. North Shore (1-5) mounted a long-winded comeback in the fifth but never pulled ahead of the Blue Sox’s six-run cushion.  

While Valley scored six runs early, the Navigators seized control in the fifth, mounting a six-run stretch that turned what had been a smooth afternoon into a scramble. North Shore sent 11 batters to the plate, capitalizing on two errors, two wild pitches, and four straight singles to even the score. 

Simmi Whitehill’s leadoff walk started the spiral, followed by Jason Bello’s single and Jack Rickheim’s fielder’s-choice RBI that also produced a throwing error. Two wild pitches brought in another run, and Grayson Carpenter’s infield single cut the deficit to 6-3. Three more singles with men on base tied the game up before the Blue Sox finally recorded the inning’s second out. Bello hit a quick ground-out to the shortstop, Anthony Grabau, to eventually end the inning.  

“It’s all about getting the next play,” head coach John Raiola said. “Mistakes are going to happen … we weren’t able to do it the way we wanted in that inning [and] that’s why they scored six. But it’s good to learn those lessons in wins rather than losses.”

Despite the sharp swing in momentum, the Blue Sox steadied themselves quickly. Gregory Bruno, who entered mid‑inning for starter Maddex LaBuda, finished the fifth before handing the ball to Lukas Jachens, who delivered a scoreless frame of his own. Jake LeFrancois took over on the mound in the seventh and worked through traffic in the eighth, keeping the Navigators off the board long enough for the offense to regain its footing. Jack Ensell then struck out the side in the ninth, stranding a Carpenter double to lock down the win.

The offense’s answer came in the seventh, delivering the swing that ultimately decided the game. With one out, Trevor Harmon doubled to left, and Jack Myers followed with a sharp single to center that scored Harmon, pushing the lead to 7-6. It was the only run Valley scored after the fourth, but it was just enough to pull away with the win.

While the late-inning run proved to be the deciding factor, the early plethora of runs reflects a season-long trend for the Blue Sox, scoring within the first inning in four of their six games thus far. 

“One of the biggest trends for us has been scoring early and setting the tone,” Raiola said. “They got themselves ready to play, and they stuck their nose in there … anytime you score early, it lets you settle into the game.”

Valley wasted no time doing exactly that. In the first inning, Anthony Tirado walked and stole second before Grabau doubled him home. Harmon followed with an RBI single down the left-field line, stretching the lead to 2-0.

In the third, the Blue Sox manufactured another run without a hit. After an error put Lucas Alberti aboard, a walk and a wild pitch brought him home to make it 3-0.

The fourth inning delivered the biggest early blow. Tirado walked again, Grabau walked behind him, and both stole bases to put two runners in scoring position. Alberti then ripped a triple down the right-field line, scoring both. A throwing error on Harmon’s grounder allowed Alberti to score as well, pushing the lead to 6-0.

LaBuda, the starting pitcher, was sharp through four innings before reaching his pitch limit in the fifth. The right-hander allowed three earned runs on three hits while striking out four.

“He was outstanding,” Raiola said. “We probably asked a little too much of him … but there were a lot of good things they did that we can build on.”

Although the fifth inning swung momentum sharply toward North Shore, Valley adjusted quickly, settled the game and regained control.

“They’ve been here before,” the coach said. “They’ve made mistakes, they’ve come back from behind, they’ve extended leads. As long as you keep your eyes forward, you give yourself a chance to win.”

The Blue Sox head to Fitch Senior High School to face off against the Mystic Schooners Friday, June 12. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game can be streamed on NECBL+.