The North Shore Navigators started off the second half of their season with style as they walked off with a 2-1 win in 10 innings against the Worcester Bravehearts on Thursday evening at Fraser Field.
All-Star shortstop Brandon Fischer (St. Thomas Aquinas) knocked in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th for the Navs, who improved to 23-17.
Navigators starter Jamie Lauria (Mercyhurst) overcame a run in the first inning and wound up going five innings, allowing just one run on four hits, striking out four.
Down 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, newly crowned Home Run Derby champion Giovanni Dingcong (St. Thomas Aquinas) laced a line-drive triple to center field. He scored on a wild pitch to tie the score at one.
It stayed that way all the way to the bottom of the 10th, when the Bravehearts walked the bases loaded (two of the walks were intentional) for Fischer. He ripped the third pitch he saw into left field to score the winning run.
Thomas Lane (Boston College), Rob DiFranco (Bates), Speros Varinos (Tufts), and Dan Metzdorf (Boston College) were nearly perfect out of the Navigators’ bullpen as they threw five innings of hitless baseball, striking out a combined seven batters.The win marks the Navigators’ third in a row. They return to Fraser Field at 6 p.m. on Saturday to host the Torrington Titans on Christmas in July night, during which all proceeds will be donated to the Lynn Christmas Parade.