By Gabbi Riggi
LYNN – North Shore Navigators bats were held quiet by the Pittsfield Suns on Friday night as Pittsfield took the game 5-0 on the road.
The Navigators now drop to 11-17 on the season while Pittsfield improves to 14-16. The results keep the Navigators five points out of second place in the East and Pittsfield three points back from second in the west.
First run came in the second with a leadoff double by Alex Parkos, who was whisked home by Jacob Westerman’s follow up double. The Suns offense pressured the Navigators pitching from the start tagging starter Conor Bawiec for six hits and the bullpen for another five.
Pittsfield tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh as leadoff hitter Justin Cooke started the inning off with a single. A pair of walks by relief pitcher Corey Imbriano loaded the bases and a single into shallow right brought two runs home.
The Suns tallied up another set of runs in the eighth inning to cement the win. Westerman worked on base with a walk and was brought home on a home run by Cooke. The play was originally ruled a foul ball as it hit the foul pole in right, but after the umpires congregated, both players were sent home.
Navigators tried to capture a rally in the bottom of the ninth. The Navigators loaded the bases with a single by Alex Brickman past a diving shortstop. Nick Fuhrmann hit a short jab over the head of the first baseman that dove into shallow right field. Keith Linnane worked a pinch hit walk to load the bases for the Navigators.
Pinch hitter Chris Cabrera dunked a single into shallow center field to score in R.J. Warnock and Fuhrmann to cut Pittsfield’s lead to 5-2. The rally gave the Navigators the only runs of the night but it wouldn’t be enough to take the third of three straight home games.
The Navigators travel to face the Seacoast Mavericks Saturday, where they have the opportunity to move up in the Eastern division standings before coming home to play on Monday.
Friday night Nav’s line-up
