St. Joseph's University sophomore Cole Stetzar, of Scranton, Penn. Portraits of the New England Collegiate Baseball League's 2018 Upper Valley Nighthawks at the Valley News office in West Lebanon, N.H., Monday, June 4, 2018. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.
St. Joseph's University sophomore Cole Stetzar, of Scranton, Penn. Portraits of the New England Collegiate Baseball League's 2018 Upper Valley Nighthawks at the Valley News office in West Lebanon, N.H., Monday, June 4, 2018. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. Credit: James M. Patterson

Laconia, n.h. — Two days off for the Upper Valley Nighthawks apparently didn’t help solve the team’s recent problems.

Upper Valley (9-7) made two errors and left nine runners on base in a 5-3 loss to the Winnipesaukee Muskrats in New England Collegiate League action at Robbie Mills Field on Tuesday, its fourth loss in five games. The defeat also kept the Nighthawks from gaining ground on the Sanford Mainers and Valley Blue Sox in the NECBL’s Northern Division.

The Muskrats, who came into the game with the NECBL’s worst record, improved to 4-12. The win was Winnipesaukee’s first in seven days. The Nighthawks had previously defeated Winnipesaukee twice this summer by a combined 12-3 score.

Cole Stetzar (Saint Joseph’s) and Greyson McLeod (West Georgia) allowed 10 hits, five runs (three earned) and two walks in seven innings. They each struck out four batters.

A.J. Franklin (Vanderbilt) finished the game on the mound for the Nighthawks, striking out two and walking one.

Upper Valley’s Ross Cadena (Wichita State) broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the third inning with a two-run home run, his first of the season. Winnipesaukee tied the game in the bottom third on a two-RBI single from Muskrats catcher Steven Passatempo (UMass-Lowell) that made the score, 3-3.

Winnipesaukee chipped away with a run each in the sixth and seventh innings. Upper Valley stranded six runners after the third inning, including leaving Riley Smith (Minnesota) on third base with two outs in the top of the ninth. Greg Hardison (UNC-Greensboro) lined out to Winnipesaukee pitcher Yu-Cheng Chang to end the game.

All but one Nighthawk — Southern Mississippi’s Bryant Bowen — had a hit in the game.

The Hawks are home tonight, hosting Vermont at 6:30 p.m.

Summer Soccer

Touchline IV 7, Littleton 1

Norwich — Touchline got goals from seven different players and scored five in the second half to top the Littleton Cannons and improve to 2-0.

Bouti Gallino led the offense with a goal and two assists. Liam Collins, Anthony Maynes, David Stoffel, Blake Palmer, Latham Allison and Paige Carl all netted goals for Touchline. Will Blinkhorn and Tono Correa finished the game with an assist each. Joey Perras made two saves in the victory.

Touchline hosts Rutland today.

Legion Baseball

Lebanon Juniors 8, Nashua 0

Lebanon — Kyle Pelletier allowed six hits and struck out five in six innings in the shutout win as the Lebanon Post 22 juniors improved to 5-0.

Pelletier also led the way offensively, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Zach Moore was 2-for-4 with a triple. Nolan Gantrish was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Post 22 scored five runs in the sixth inning to secure the win.

Lebanon’s defense also turned four double plays.

Keene 3, Lebanon Seniors 1

Walpole, n.h. — Lebanon’s offense managed only two hits and three walks, scoring its lone run on an error in the fourth inning to fall to 2-3.

Post 22 pitcher Dashiel Fukushima allowed five hits. Lebanon led, 1-0, after four innings. Keene tied the game in the fifth and added two more in the sixth.

Lebanon plays North Haverhill (Mass.) in the Laconia Tournament at Memorial Park in on Friday.