After sweeping the first round of the postseason, the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks are moving on to the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) Southern Division Finals to take on the first place Newport Gulls this week.
The Sharks defeated the Blues 11-0 in Bristol on Friday, then came back to the Island Saturday where, surrounded by the Island faithful, they again shutout the Blues, 6-0.
In a three-game series against the Gulls coming up, the Sharks will play home on Tuesday evening.
At the Shark Tank on Saturday evening and with a backdrop of a setting sun, it was a grand slam from designated hitter Evan Applewick (No. 31) in the bottom of the third inning that put an exclamation point on the Shark’s victory. But the team played well all around.
“The big swing from Evan Applewick kind of opened the game up and let us get comfortable,” said Head Coach Payton Fuller after the win. “The guys on the mound did a great job, tons of strikes, changing speeds, and I would be remiss without talking about the defense; I think we had two diving plays in the outfield in the first inning, really good infield plays, really good behind the plate play — it was a collective effort for sure.”
A point of focus throughout the season for the home team has been improving on defense, and the hard work paid off on Saturday. Not a single error was committed by Sharks fielders. But it was beyond not committing mistakes — they were also flashing the leather, including two successful diving catches by center fielder Will Hampton (No. 8) and left fielder Carter Bently (No. 17) in the first inning to keep the Blues at zero.
“The first couple weeks of the season we weren’t very good defensively and we were losing games because of it,” Fuller said. “But we got new personnel and were finding where guys are comfortable; it’s made a big difference for sure.”
Chayce Kieck (No. 10) started for the Sharks on Saturday, mowing down seven hitters and going seven strong innings, Ryan Ashford (No. 18) pitched the eighth, and Colby McNeely (No. 7) closed the game out efficiently.
“Our two pitchers combined, Ross Felder and Chayce Kieck combined for 14 innings in the past two games, totaled 5 hits and no runs between the two of them,” said Fuller after the game. “And Colby McNeely is one of our main relievers.”
In regular season play, the Sharks were just a step behind the Blues, winning two games against the Bristol team and losing three. Going into the playoffs, the Blues edged them out in the standings by just two games; the Sharks were ranked third and the Blues second in the southern division. The Sharks ended the season at 25 and 19, while the Blues were 27 and 17.
“We knew it was going to be a challenge and the guys prepared like it was going to be a challenge,” said Fuller. “[The team played] outstanding tonight and last night. Two shut outs in a row is amazing.”
Next up on the Shark’s menu are the Newport Gulls, who were ranked first in the Southern Division in regular season play. The Sharks played the Gulls five times, winning two and losing three. The Gulls finished the season 29 and 15.
“Newport is definitely one of the best teams in the league,” said Fuller. “Outstanding pitching, it’ll be a challenge for sure.”
The Sharks travel to Newport Monday night, then are back on Island on Tuesday for a 7:05 pm opening pitch. If the two teams trade wins, a third and final game will be played back in Newport on Wednesday evening.