Blue Sox fall 11-6 after Sharks’ surge

By Kate Endres

The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks used two four‑run innings and steady pressure from the top of their order to beat the Valley Blue Sox 11-6 on Sunday night at The Shark Tank. Valley (8-9-1) left fielder Lucas Alberti (George Mason) supplied nearly all of the Blue Sox offense, driving in four runs with a homer, double and bases‑loaded walk, but Vineyard’s (14-4) early scoring held.

The Sharks’ biggest swings came in the second and fourth innings. In the second, Nick Rubino (Wake Forest) and Austin Pierzynski (University of Alabama, Birmingham) opened with singles before Jackson Roper (Wake Forest) delivered a two‑run single and advanced on an error. A passed ball brought in another run, and Ryan Thompson (Rhode Island) doubled to cap a four‑run inning that put Vineyard ahead 5-1.

The fourth inning mirrored the second. Roper singled again, Ty Fredo (Mount St. Mary’s) followed with another hit, and Thompson walked to load the bases. Jack Kamin (Tufts) drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, Rubino forced in another with a walk, a passed ball scored a third and Pierzynski added an RBI single to center. The four‑run frame stretched the Sharks’ lead to 9-3 and effectively controlled the game.

Alberti kept Valley competitive. He homered off an in-the-zone slider in the first to give the Blue Sox an early lead, then doubled home Jack Myers (Georgia Southern) and Anthony Tirado (Penn State) in the third to cut the deficit to 5-3. In the seventh, Alberti walked with the bases loaded to force in another run after singles from Matt Wolfe (Middle Tennessee), Nick Tomasetto (Seton Hall) and Myers.

Valley’s other scoring came from Tirado, who singled home Wolfe in the seventh, and Chris Cancel (UConn), who drove in Gabriel Cavazzoni (Seton Hall) with a single in the eighth.

Vineyard added single runs in the sixth and seventh. Rubino doubled in the sixth to set up a sacrifice fly from Will Shaheen (Duke), and in the seventh, Kevin Hall (University of Alabama, Birmingham) stole home after reaching on a fielder’s-choice error, pushing the lead to 11–5.

Valley finished with eight hits, including Alberti’s homer and double, and struck out 12 times. Vineyard totaled 12 hits, drew eight walks and stole four bases, with Roper reaching base four times and scoring twice.

Valley used five pitchers, with Riley Williams (Mount St. Mary’s) and Dom Ruggiero (Penn State) working the early innings before Jacob Mulvehill (Lehigh), Jake LeFrancois (UMass Lowell) and Jason Pinsonnault (Western New England)  combined to hold the Sharks to two runs over the final four frames. Vineyard finished with 12 hits, but Valley’s bullpen kept the game within reach long enough for the offense to mount its late push.

The Blue Sox return to Mackenzie Stadium to face off against the Upper Valley Night Hawks on Monday, June 29th, for another Millers Monday. The action will kick off at 6:35 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.