The Martha’s Vineyard Under-15 baseball All Stars capped off a busy stretch of seven games in eight days by winning the Mansfield Summer Classic Tournament last weekend.
The Vineyard started off by sweeping a doubleheader on Saturday. In game one, Nico Arroyo brought a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and ended up allowing two runs on two hits while striking out nine batters, as MV downed Mansfield, 8-2. Nico also hit an RBI double in the second inning to score the first Vineyard run. Cam Napior and Ben Mulvey also hit two-baggers for MV.
In the second game of the twin bill, the Vineyard used patience at the plate and aggressive base running to build an 8-0 lead through three innings and thump Foxboro, 12-2, in a five-inning mercy-shortened contest. Nick Cranston was the winning pitcher in another strong Vineyard performance.
MV advanced to the championship game against Attleboro on Sunday. Cam Napior took the hill and struck out nine in a complete-game 3-0 shutout. The game was a pitcher’s duel through four innings, but Finn Lewis put the Vineyard on top by scoring from second base after a throw from the Attleboro first baseman hit the dirt and got past the shortstop into center field. Pitcher Napior helped his cause and gave MV some breathing room by hitting a two–RBI double in the bottom of the sixth.
“Playing seven games in eight days is tough, even for a group that loves the game as much as these kids do,” Vineyard manager Cole Wingate said. “The boys rode the momentum of some great pitching and stellar defense, and stuck together the whole week. It was great to see.”
July 7-10, the Vineyard U15’s quest to reach the Babe Ruth World Series came to an end in the South sectional of the Eastern Massachusetts State Tournament in Braintree. After winning the District 7 championship the previous week, the Vineyard played well, but finished the tourney with a 1-3 record.
In game one, short-handed MV fielded just nine players and lost,16-3, to Norwood.
Undaunted, the Vineyard rebounded the next day with an 8-2 win over Weymouth. Nick Cranston pitched six shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out three, while going 2 for 3 at the plate with an RBI. Jake Glasgow also knocked in a run and batted 3 for 3, with three singles.
In the third game of the tourney against Dedham, Matthew Moore was 2 for 2 at the plate, but the Vineyard bats had a tough time finding holes in the defense in an 11-2 loss.
MV closed out the round robin against undefeated Braintree. Cam Napior pitched a great game, but the Braintree pitchers were even tougher on the mound, and posted a 10-0 shutout to clinch the tournament and advance to the New England regionals.
