From Thursday, June 15, to Wednesday, June 21, the Sharks played the first overall Newport Gulls, fourth overall Mystic Schooners, and fifth overall Ocean State Waves a combined five times, managing only one win.
The victory was a good one, however, coming against the 14-3 Gulls away, in which the Sharks’ pitching staff held Newport to only three hits and no runs. Led by ace Harilaos Deliyannis of Pomona-Pitzer College and closer Grant Goodlad of Fairleigh Dickinson, the Sharks shut out Newport 4-0.
The win solidified Deliyannis’ and Goodlad’s leading roles for the Sharks’ pitching staff, with both boasting 0.0 ERAs so far this season. “Harry” has now pitched 10 shutout innings through two starts, and Goodlad has a mere 0.43 WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched), with eight strikeouts through four relief appearances.
“Awesome pitching by Deliyannis versus Newport,” manager Billy Uberti stated. “He was keeping them off-balance with his changeup; he always fills up the strike zone … [while] Goodlad has claimed that closer role.”
On the offensive end, the Sharks put up all four runs in the second inning, with two RBIs coming from the bat of first baseman Ryan McCoy of Louisville. McCoy has emerged as a consistent offensive threat for the Sharks, leading them in on-base percentage at a .431 clip. He also has five doubles, two homers, and six stolen bases through 12 games.
Accompanying McCoy atop the stat sheets are center fielder Nathan Hall of Clemson and designated hitter Scott Seeker of Mount St. Mary’s. The trio came up big in the Sharks’ 8-6 win on June 24 against the Sanford Mainers, with McCoy hitting his two home runs, Hall logging two hits and two runs, and Seeker recording an RBI double.
Seeker has a .304 batting average and a .947 OPS through 12 games, while Hall is hitting .340, with a 1.091 OPS. Hall has also recorded nine RBIs, five stolen bases, and only four strikeouts in that same time frame. “He’s a complete player,” Uberti said. “He can hit the ball to all fields … let’s hope he continues his hot start.”
After shutting out the Gulls, the Sharks managed to win two of their next five, settling at 6-10 through the first three weeks of play. They will look to snap out of their slump during their upcoming home stretch, in which they play five games at the Shark Tank before July 3.
On Wednesday, June 28, after our paper’s deadline, the Sharks will host the North Adams SteepleCats, and then play a home doubleheader versus the Keene Swamp Bats on June 29. After a trip to Lynn to play the Navigators, they will host a rematch against North Shore on Saturday, July 1, and then welcome the Ocean State Waves on July 2.
“We’re looking forward to being back home for a nice stretch,” said Uberti. “The guys love it here.”
