Blue Sox pitching staff helps earn third win in a row
By Mary Merensky
HOLYOKE - The Valley Blue Sox pitching staff held it down in Holyoke to help the team claim its third consecutive win, remaining undefeated to start the 2026 season. Nolan Geisler (UMass Lowell) and Lukas Jachens (SUNY Oneonta) made their Blue Sox debut on Monday night against the Danbury Westerners, with both having impressive showings to start their summer.
Geisler was the starting pitcher for Valley and he dominated on the mound, throwing only 18 pitches with no hits allowed throughout the first three innings.
“I was kind of in cruise control [and] just locked in,” said Nolan Geisler post-game. “[It was a] really good start…We’re going to build on it, keep working, and get better every day.”
In six innings pitched, Geisler had four strikeouts and only gave up three hits, helping the Blue Sox to maintain their lead. Two of those hits did end up coming in the sixth inning, where Danbury managed to score their only two runs of the game.
“A big reason why we are where we are right now… [is the pitching staff’s] ability to throw strikes and limit damage,” said head coach John Raiola. “We talk a lot about positive response when anything bad happens, the ability to get the next guy out, and we’ve done a really good job of that.”
Despite those few mishaps in the sixth, Geisler could not have asked for a better debut, and neither could Lukas Jachens.
Jachens made his season debut as well when he was brought in during the seventh to attempt to settle things down after Valley conceded those two runs in the previous frame. In his first outing for the Blue Sox, Jachens was able to retire five of the seven batters he faced during two innings pitched, giving up just one hit, while keeping the Westerners from scoring any more runs.
In addition to these stellar debuts for Geisler and Jachens, they are not the only Blue Sox pitchers who are getting attention around the league. On Monday, the NECBL announced that Dylan Reid (Brown) would be the first recipient of the Pitcher of the Week award for the 2026 season.
This honor comes after Reid pitched six hitless innings in his first appearance for the Blue Sox during Valley’s home opener, where they tied 2-2 with the Newport Gulls. Dylan Reid was definitely the standout player of that game and can be a real difference-maker for the Blue Sox this summer.
If the Valley Blue Sox can maintain their exceptional pitching as the season progresses, they will be a real threat in the NECBL this year.
The message from Coach Raiola is clear as the Blue Sox seek their fourth consecutive win. “Let’s show up tomorrow. Let’s continue to get better, and let’s leave it all out there.”
The Blue Sox will be back in action on Tuesday, June 9, as they take on the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks at Mackenzie Stadium, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m.