LYNN – The North Shore Navigators could not quite reach the .500 mark for the first time this season as they lost on Monday night against the Worcester Bravehearts. In a hard fought battle, the Navigators came up just short of a comeback and fell by a final score of 4-3.
The Navigators got their offense ignited in the seventh inning which really got them into the game. Christian Cabrera (Broward CC) led off the inning with a single and moved to third base on a double by Mack Nathanson (Wofford College). They would each score on RBI ground outs, one via Keith Linnane (Northern Essex CC) and one via Ben Kennedy (Texas). At the time, this made the score 4-2 in favor of the Bravehearts.
The team would get their offense going once again in the ninth inning, as they loaded the bases in hopes of making a comeback. Nathanson, Linnane, and Jordan Roper (Marist College) all got on base bringing up MacDaniel Singleton (Salem State) with one out. Singleton would get a sacrifice fly to left field to make the game 4-3 and bring up Nick DiBenedetto (Trinity College). DiBenedetto ended up hitting a hard grounder to short that was fielded cleanly. He was thrown out to end the game.
Regardless of his last at bat, DiBenedetto had a great game for the Navigators. He went 3-5 on the night with three singles and he had another line drive that was grabbed on a nice effort by the third baseman. He was one of two Navigators with a three hit game, the other being Cabrera. Cabrera also singled three times, going 3-4 with the one run scored.
On the mound, the Navigators put together a pretty solid showing. Bobby Tramondozzi (UMass Boston) worked 5 and 1/3 innings allowing two earned runs while striking out three. The relief pitchers, Cam Lanzilli (UMass Lowell), Brian Burke (Curry College), and Quinn DiPasquale (Stevens Institute) helped to keep the Navs in the game late. Burke was the only one to allow a run, and the three pitchers combined to allow only five base runners over 3 and 2/3 innings.
The Navigators will return to action at Fraser Field on Tuesday, July 19 when they take on the Pittsfield Suns. First pitch for that game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
