LYNN — The North Shore Navigators saw their two-game winning streak end Friday in a 14-3 loss to Nashua at Fraser Field.
North Shore slips to 6-14.
The Navs recorded six hits. Third baseman Sal Frelick (Boston College) got the offense going with a fourth-inning home run, but Nashua’s 14-hit attack was too much to overcome. Catcher Joe Caparis (Pepperdine) went 3-for-5 with four RBI, while left fielder Jeff Costello (Northeastern) scored four runs.
The visitors tagged Navs starter Travis Lane (Boston College) for five runs in the second inning and three more in the third on seven combined hits. Lane walked three and struck out one over three innings.
Costello opened the scoring with a solo home run before five of the next six Silver Knights reached base. Tom Blandini (SNHU) punctuated the frame with a triple, while Caparis and designated hitter Nick Biddison (Virginia Tech) each singled in runs.
Nashua scored a trio of two-out runs on two hits in the third as Andrew Gorham (Tulane) and Caparis each doubled. Caparis brought home two more runs.
Frelick led the fourth with his (and the team’s) second homer of the season. The deep fly to right field extended Frelick’s team-leading RBI count to 11 and his hit streak to seven games since joining the Navs.
The visitors responded with three more runs in the fifth and one in the sixth. Navs reliever Danny Ryan (Northeastern) allowed a leadoff home run to first baseman Jake Lebel (NYIT) in the fifth before Gorham lited a sacrifice fly to center and second baseman Tyler Littlefield (Houston) knocked an RBI double.
Ryan pitched two innings out of the North Shore bullpen before Matt Demma (Saint Joseph’s of Maine) logged the last four, two of which were scoreless. Demma struck out batters in each of his last three innings and worked longer than any Navs reliever since June 12.
North Shore scored twice in the eighth. Shortstop Andrew Olszak (Southern Maine) reached on an error and catcher John Prentice (New England College) singled with one out, setting up left fielder Jeff Mejia (UMass Lowell) for an RBI single. Mejia then advanced to second and Prentice scored on a fielding error.
The Silver Knights concluded the scoring in their last at-bats as Caparis hit a two-run single just inside the right field line. The 14-run outburst was Nashua’s second in three days.
Spencer Langdon (Tufts) pitched three perfect innings in relief of Spencer Bergeron (UMass) to earn the win for the Silver Knights. Bergeron allowed one run on three hits and two walks over the first four frames. Despite the loss, the Navs did not strike out once in the game.
The Navs have Saturday off before playing back-to-back games at Historic Holman Stadium against Nashua. Sunday’s first pitch is slated for 5:05 p.m. North Shore returns to Fraser Field for a Tuesday doubleheader against Pittsfield that is set to begin at 4 p.m.