Blue Sox beat Navigators, put end to losing streak
By Mary Merensky
HOLYOKE – The Valley Blue Sox defeated the North Shore Navigators 4-3 in their second meeting of the 2026 season. This victory puts an end to the Blue Sox’s three-game losing streak and improves their record to 7-4-1.
“It’s not always in terms of hits, but working counts, fouling balls off, finding a way on base…That’s what we were able to do tonight and come out on top,” said Blue Sox head coach John Raiola when asked about the key to winning tonight’s game.
North Shore got on the board early in the first inning after Maddix Simpson singled out to right field and advanced to second on a passed ball. With a runner in scoring position, Danati Fronduto hit an RBI single to allow Simpson to score, giving the Navigators a 1-0 lead.
Despite being down to start the game, the Blue Sox bounced right back and overtook the lead in the bottom of the frame. The Navigators pitcher Jack Sarno walked Jack Myers, and Anthony Grabau reached first on an error by the shortstop, putting two men on base for Valley’s best hitter, Trevor Harmon.
Harmon doubled to left field, sending Myers home and moving Grabau to third, earning him his tenth RBI of the summer. Valley was not done yet, however, as Chris Cancel followed it up with an RBI of his own, scoring two more runs for the Blue Sox, making it a 3-1 game.
The second inning remained scoreless for both teams, but the Navigators were able to pull themselves within one run of a tie game in the third.
Hunter Kingsbury began the inning by hitting a double and advancing to third base off a Grayson Carpenter groundout. Maddix Simpson was up to bat again when he drove in the RBI double that had Kingsbury running home, closing the gap to 3-2.
The score held until the fifth inning, where the Navigators had back-to-back singles from Jack Rickheim and Kingsbury. Both runners advanced to scoring position after a groundout from Carpenter, giving Hunter Ellis the perfect opportunity to hit the sac fly that scored the tying run.
Though the score was 3-3, Valley was determined not to continue the losing streak and found a way to gain back the lead in the bottom of the fifth.
Trevor Harmon added another hit to his total when he singled out to center field and quickly moved to second on a wild pitch. Within the blink of an eye, the Blue Sox had the bases loaded as North Shore’s pitcher walked Nick Tomasetto and Eddison Esquivel.
The shaky pitching for the Navigators is what eventually scored the winning run for the Blue Sox, as Matt Wolfe was walked with the bases loaded, forcing in the fourth and final run for Valley.
While the offense did a great job of getting on base, the win would not have been possible without the stellar pitching from Dylan Reid, Jacob Mulvehill, Jake LeFrancois, and Jack Ensall.
“[The pitching staff] came in and did what they’ve done all year,” said Raiola. “We know if we pitch and play defense, we’re going to be in a lot of games, and that’s the recipe.”
Getting the win tonight was extremely important for the Blue Sox's momentum as they play again on Saturday against the Newport Gulls, but no matter the opponent, Coach Raiola’s message stays the same.
“Take care of the baseball, throw strikes, grind out at-bats, find ways on base, and come up with a big hit. If we do that, we’re good enough to beat anyone.”
The Blue Sox will play the Newport Gulls on Saturday, June 20, during Pages with Paws night at Mackenzie Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.