The Sharks fell to the Mystic Schooners after a close game, 3-2. —Chase Lewis 
Players watch intently as their teammate is at bat. —Chase Lewis 
Sharks’ starter Ryan Gold, took the mound, pitching fastballs. —Chase Lewis 
Sharks remove their baseball hats and listen to the National Anthem at the start of their game. —Chase Lewis 
Will Hampton jumps into the dugout in celebration. —Chase Lewis 
Friday’s game had the largest number of attendees all summer. —Chase Lewis
The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks kicked off their postseason New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) run with a game that brought the crowd to its feet in the final innings this past Saturday. The night, however, ended in a loss for the Island’s baseball team on their turf.
The game, held at the Shark Tank at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, hosted animated fans whose eyes were trained on the scoreboard right up until the moment when the Sharks fell to the Mystic Schooners after a late and close score, 3-2.
The Sharks tied the series against the Schooners on Sunday away, where they won 8-1, and were supposed to close out the best-of-three series Monday, August 3, but the game was postponed to Tuesday, August 4 due to weather.
Under gray skies and patchy fog on Friday, 3,401 spectators perched around the diamond for the team’s 46th game of the season. It was the largest number of attendees all summer at the Tank, according to a press release from the team.
After a regular season record of 30-12, the Sharks stood in first place in the NECBL South Division. The championship is decided by an eight-team bracket, showcasing three best-of-three rounds, with the last two standing teams playing for the Fay Vincent, Sr. Cup.
Toby Taftpearman, a 17-year old from Westwood who attended the game, said he’s followed the Sharks all summer. “They have been playing really well this season, and their record is really impressive,” he said.
Sharks’ Ryan Gold started the game on the mound, pitching fastballs through thick, humid air. He cut through winds ranging from seven to nine miles per hour, conditions that made the first few innings slow-paced. Mystic Schooners’ first baseman Bryce Detwiler hit a double during the first inning, only to get out to sounds of “womp womp” from the Shark’s audio booth.
The first foul ball of the night came in early on in the game with Sharks’ center fielder Kevin Hall at bat. A hoard of children locked eyes with the ball as they got down the bleachers in a hurry and set off to the third base fence line to see what would be one out of only three catches all night.
At the bottom of the second inning, some thrilling action came as Sharks’ left fielder Carter Bently got Schooners’ right fielder Justin Best out on the first fly ball of the game.
The night’s turning point was at the top of the fifth, when Best hit a triple, scoring the first run of the game. Schooners’ shortstop Jack Harley hit a fly ball to right field that was caught for an out by Bently in a ball play that had Sharks’ fans at the edge of their seats as the scoreboard read 0-3 at 8:30 pm.
“I think that was what kind of defined the game. We had to play from behind after that and just came up short,” Sharks’ Head Coach Payton “Skip” Fuller told The Times after the game.
The Sharks got their fins up at the bottom of that same inning with shortstop Jackson Roper driving a pitch to left center field on a one-two count, bringing the score to 3-1 right before the sixth inning intermission.
A group of galloping kids raced across the field and danced with Sharks’ mascot, Sharky, while other members of the audience like local nine-year old Owen Cotton, who told The Times, “I came to the game to eat,” ordered dinner at the Shark Tank food trailer.
Cotton attended to watch Saturday’s game with his father, Paul Cotton, who explained that the playoffs add to the experience of watching baseball. “It’s just more exciting because it’s a double elimination, and when you’re out, you’re out,” he said.
Other attendees were watching the Sharks for inspiration.
Nolan Taylor from Virginia, 18, said he aspires to play for the Sharks in a few years, “I’ve been hearing about the Sharks for years, so I decided to watch the game tonight,” he said.
After intermission, the game rapidly picked up in the seventh inning with the Sharks’ Will Hampton swinging his bat and hitting the ball with a crack that had spectators out of their seats and biting their nails as he scored the second home run that night for the Sharks. Hampton brought the score to 3-2, but the Sharks were still behind.
In response to the increasing stakes as the Sharks caught up to the Mystic Schooners, a timeout was called, and the Mystic Schooners introduced a new pitcher to the mound. At the top of the eighth inning, the crowd held its breath as Bently caught what would have been the ball for another Mystic Schooners run.
At 10 pm, the game was at the bottom of the eighth inning when the Sharks’ Jackson Taylor got hit by a pitch from Schooners’ Nick Santivanez. On a thrilling note, Detweiler tried to steal home from third base, only to be stopped by Taylor on a groundout play.
The game ended with Mystic Schooners’ celebrating around the mound, as the announcer’s voice echoed through the field: “End game with two runs, five hits, and zero errors.”
