The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks kicked off their summer season at the Island’s Shark Tank Tuesday evening against the top-seed in the New England Collegiate baseball league, the Vermont Mountaineers.
Despite the Sharks falling by one run in the ninth inning for a 4-3 final, hundreds of Vineyarders showed up in cheerful spirits to enjoy a nailbiter.
In tandem with the season opener, the Sharks hosted what’s called “MV Youth Baseball and Softball Night,” where hundreds of young baseball players from tee-ball to Babe Ruth leagues joined the Sharks starting players on the field for the national anthem, first pitch, and then in the later innings, a race around the bases, and a dance-off on the mound.
In the match, Vermont opened the scoring, securing two runs in the first inning and one in the second to go up three runs early. The Sharks tied it up with three unanswered runs of their own in the third, fourth, and fifth inning, but the scoring stopped for both teams there.
After four strong defensive innings in the field by both teams, the score remained 3-3 going into the ninth.
In the top of the ninth, the Mountaineers positioned a man on third after the Sharks made an error on a stolen base attempt, and after a solid ground ball in the infield by another Mountaineer batter, the runner scored.
The Sharks tried to tie it up but Vermont’s pitcher struck two batters out and the third hit a high fly into center field that was caught to end the game. The final score was 4-3, Mountaineers.
