North Tops South, 6-2, in 2021 NECBL All-Star Game

Original link: http://www.necbl.com/view/necbl/news-1185/news_536520

Link: Box Score

NEWPORT, R.I. – Bolstered by an early three-run lead that was never in doubt thanks to a plethora of dominant pitching performances, the Northern Division All-Stars defeated the Southern Division by a score of 6-2 in the 2021 New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) All-Star Game at Cardines Field on Sunday night.

Playing in front of dozens of scouts representing every Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise, the New England League’s showcase of the top student-athletes from across the league gave the capacity crowd a highly entertaining evening.

Upper Valley’s infielder Max Viera (Northeastern) was named the 2021 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player after driving home the North’s second run of the contest in the top of the second courtesy of a single, plus two more base hits to score another run through the first four innings of action; perhaps most impressively, Viera tallied three stolen bases to round out his award-winning evening.

The first run of the All-Star Game came off of the bat of the North’s leadoff hitter and Sanford’s catcher Calvin Hewett (Vanderbilt) by way of a single, the second hit in a streak of four straight singles in the second inning before Viera’s run-scoring base hit and another RBI single from Keene’s outfielder Thomas Joseph (Jacksonville) that propelled the North to an early 3-0 advantage.

The South wasted little time responding, as in the bottom of the second Ocean State’s catcher Nick Hassan (Kennesaw State) drove the South’s first run home by grounding into a double play that ultimately allowed Mystic’s infielder Addison Kopack (Rhode Island) to cross home plate and cut the Southern Division deficit to 3-1.

The ballgame’s MVP in Viera tallied his second RBI of the evening for the Northern Division in the visitor’s half of the fourth with his third single of the matchup to bring home his Upper Valley teammate and outfielder Andrew Walker (Xavier) and record their squad’s fourth run of the night.

The 4-1 score remained until the top of the sixth inning when the North struck once again, extending their lead over the South to 6-1 thanks to an RBI single by North Shore’s infielder Logan Bravo (Harvard) along with a double from the bat of Sanford’s infielder Mitchell Moralez (Utah Valley) in each of their first two at-bats. The Southern Division attempted a comeback in the bottom of the seventh as Mystic’s outfielder Brendan Cumming (Princeton) singled to bring home the final run of the affair in Newport.

Martha’s Vineyard starting pitcher Ryan Ramsey (Maryland) struck out three of the five batters he faced – one of two South pitchers to do so alongside Ocean State righty Nicholas Payero (Seton Hall). All but one pitcher for the North recorded at least one punch-out versus Southern Division batters, including Keene’s starter Michael Bacica (Maine Orono), who fanned one and Winnipesaukee’s righty Reese Sharp (Indiana), who struck out two.

The game, which featured 60 of the New England League's top student-athletes from across all 13 teams and more than 40 scouts representing all 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) organizations, was the main event of an afternoon at Cardines that also featured the Home Run Derby, which was won by Valley’s Luke Franzoni (Xavier). Franzoni defeated North Shore’s Ryan Marra (Brown) in the final round with 11 home runs, tallying 26 longballs total through both rounds.

The NECBL congratulates all its worthy student-athletes who were in attendance tonight and thanks the entire Newport Gulls organization for their efforts in hosting this year’s memorable All-Star Game.