In a game that would determine the fate of the team’s season and amid a series of fog delays, the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks took down the Valley Blue Sox with a final score of 5–2 at the Shark Tank on Monday night, clenching a spot in the postseason.
In the top of the ninth inning, with the Sharks leading 5–2, it was time for the Blue Sox to get in their last-chance at-bats to turn the game around, but the umpires called a 30-minute delay due to severe fog rolling through. After roughly 20 minutes of a delay and minimal improvement in visibility, the umpires called the game off, and the Sharks took the 5–2 final.
“We lost two games this summer the same way,” said General Manager Russ Curran. “It was our turn to win one.”
While the game secured the Sharks in the playoffs, they still are hoping to improve their seed. The Sharks need to win against the Newport Gulls Tuesday night at the Shark Tank, as well as the Mystic Schooners Wednesday in Groton, Conn., and they need the Bristol Blues to lose one game.
“These next two games are huge — we are still fighting for home-field advantage,” said Head Coach Payton Fuller after the game Monday.
Right now, the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks are positioned in third place in the South Division of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), with just two games left in the regular season, behind the Newport Gulls in first, and the Danbery Westerners in second place.
To start on Monday night, the Sharks held the Blue Sox to zero runs in the first, with three clean outs. In the bottom half of the inning, Brady Krzciok (No. 25) roped a two-run home run over the right-field fence for an early 2–0 lead.
“Brady has been a big part of our success this season,” Fuller said.
The Sharks kept the Blue Sox off the scoreboard until the top of the fourth. With bases loaded following a hit batter and some wild pitches, the Blue Sox got their first run on a walk. Struggling to get out of the inning and with bases loaded, the Sharks’ Will Hampton (No. 8) made a spectacular diving catch in center to get them out of the tight inning, keeping the score at 2–1.
Coach Fuller said Hampton has also been a vital part of their team’s success. “Hampton as center field made the play against the fence in the first inning to save a run, got us off to a good start,” said Fuller.
In the top of the fifth, the Sharks’ Max Kaufer (No. 27) made an error trying to shoot a Blue Sox runner stealing second, overthrowing second base, which put a Blue Sox runner on third. But the Sharks made it out of the inning without any more blood being drawn.
In the bottom of the sixth, Kaufer made up for his mistake with a home run over the left-field fence. A debate ensued whether the home run was foul, but eventually umpires called it a fair, bringing the lead to 3–2.
“Kaufer, our catcher, went to Wichita State, and hit a big home run in the bottom of the sixth inning — it gave us the cushion we needed to win the game,” said Fuller.
After the Sharks made it through the top of the eighth unscathed, they were able to force two runs in with two outs late in the bottom of the eighth. With a play at the plate, the Blue Sox catcher couldn’t hang onto the ball. As he went to make the tag, the ball was knocked from his hand, bringing the game to 5–2.
In the top of the ninth, the umpires called a 30-minute delay due to the outfield being shrouded by fog. The game was called off 30 minutes later.
“I thought the boys played really well,” said Fuller. “Valley is a good team. We pitched really well, played defense well, and we hit well.”
Coach Fuller is from Alabama, and is in his first year coaching the team, and his first summer season on Martha’s Vineyard; he said it’s been a great experience for him and the team.
“It’s been a really fun two months coming up here,” said Fuller. “The season has been awesome — we’ve had 40 to 45 different guys coming from different schools to this Island. It’s been really fun. We’ve had a bunch of success so far, and we are getting excited for the playoffs.”
As far as playoffs go, the plan is to keep the ball rolling. “I think if we keep doing what we’ve done throughout the season — throwing strikes, playing good defense, timely hitting — we should make a run for the championship,” he added.