Blue Sox bullpen proves crucial in 4-3 win over North Shore
By Kate Endres
HOLYOKE — The Valley Blue Sox leaned on four pitchers to close out a 4-3 win over the North Shore Navigators on Friday night, using eight innings of one‑run relief to halt a three‑game skid and snatch up their seventh win of the season.
North Shore (6-7) opened the scoring with a run in the first, but the Blue Sox (7-4-1) responded almost immediately. A two‑run single from Chris Cancel (UConn) and an RBI double from Trevor Harmon (San Fransico) put Valley ahead 3-1 after one single inning. The Navigators added lone runs in the third and fifth, but the Blue Sox bullpen held the line, allowing just one hit over the final three innings.
Right‑hander Dylan Reid (Brown) entered the night with a 1.64 ERA, .135 opponent average and 14 strikeouts through his first 11 innings. Reid has also earned the NECBL Pitcher of the Week honors for week one of play and honorable mentions for the second week. He remained consistent with his other outings, striking out six with no walks across five innings.
“We knew Dylan would give us a quality start, which is exactly what you're looking for when you've lost three in a row,” Valley head coach John Raiola said. “Dylan certainly went out and did what he's done all year.”
After allowing two early runs, the Georgia native held North Shore to one run over his final four frames.
“[It was a] great team win,” Reid said. “The bullpen came in and held it down, and we got the job done.”
Reid said his approach stayed simple.
“[I] Just got ahead [and] threw strikes,” he said. “I didn’t have my best stuff, but I attacked and made them beat me.”
After five full innings of work, Reid retired to send right‑hander Jacob Mulvehill (Lehigh) to the mound. Despite only appearing in one game for the Blue Sox before Friday's outing, Mulvehill delivered a clean sixth inning on 12 pitches.
“[We are] still kind of learning him and everything, but he came in and did a great job,” Raiola said.
Jake LeFrancois (UMass Lowell) followed with two scoreless innings, striking out four while allowing one hit. The right‑hander has been one of the team’s most effective relievers, entering with a 1.13 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, and eight strikeouts in eight innings.
“[LeFrancois] has been awesome for us all year [and] continued that,” Raiola said.
Closer Jack Ensell took the ninth and followed a familiar pattern. He struck out the first two batters he faced, allowed a double, then induced a groundout to end the game. This performance for the University of Miami pitcher is nearly identical to his earlier save against the Navigators this season.
Ensell entered the night with a 0.00 ERA, 0.25 WHIP, and nine strikeouts in four innings, one of the highest strikeout rates in the bullpen for Valley. His early‑season consistency mirrors the outings he put up at Barry University. The Jacksonville native struck out 69 batters in 58.1 innings last spring, including a 14‑strikeout performance against Nova Southeastern and multiple six‑inning scoreless outings.
“I know what my role is [and] it’s a little easier on preparation knowing what I have to do game in and game out,” Ensell said. “It’s really comfortable being able to do the same thing over and over again.”
While a bases‑loaded walk to Matt Wolfe (Middle Tennessee) in the fifth provided the only Blue Sox run after the first, the pitching staff provided a cushion for the lone run to be enough to pull away with the win. Additionally, North Shore managed only one run over the final eight innings.
“All four guys that pitched did exactly what we wanted them to do,” Raiola said. “Pitching and defense will always be the recipe.”
The Blue Sox return to Mackenzie Stadium on Saturday, June 20, for their Pages with Paws night against the Newport Gulls. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m., and the action can be streamed on ESPN+.