White River Junction
“We don’t let this bother you,” Cenatiempo said, signaling to his bullpen for Seton Hall lefty Billy Layne. “You walk off this mound, take your cleats off and get ready for your next start. That’s it.”
The Nighthawks (9-11) fell 11-4 to the Valley Blue Sox on Saturday night at the Maxfield Sports Complex, 24 hours after suffering their most lopsided loss of the season on the road against the Winnipesaukee Muskrats on Friday. Upper Valley extended its losing streak to three games and, for the first time in team history, dropped to two games below .500.
It was the fastball in the first inning that was on Mabray’s mind. The Troy University product was one pitch away from ending the inning largely unscathed. With two outs and the bases loaded, the visiting Blue Sox up by a run, Valley’s Chris Starcun hit a grand slam on a fastball over the plate that Mabray, one of Upper Valley’s most consistent pitchers this season, wanted back.
“Probably should have went with something else there,” Mabray said. “All my pitches were up. Just too many mistakes. … I think we need an off day. We’ll get back at it on Monday.”
Valley (11-8) scored in each of its first four innings in front of a record announced crowd of 591 at Maxfield, including five runs in the first inning to put the Nighthawks in an early hole. On Friday, Winnipesaukee scored all of its seven runs in the first three innings, making the Nighthawks slow starts an unsightly pattern.
“It’s tough because we had a long talk last night. We didn’t play well last night,” Cenatiempo said. “Tonight I thought we came out with energy, but we made two bad pitches and we got paid for it. You keep trying to digging yourself out of a hole. … It’s tough to do against competitive pitchers.
“Now we’re starting to have our rough patches as a pitching staff. It’s part of the game, it’s what happens. But we’re also 20 games in.”
The Blue Sox amassed 15 hits Saturday night and built a 9-0 lead before the Nighthawks’ offense, which amassed onlyfour hits Friday night against the Muskrats, could begin to mount any semblance of a comeback.
Upper Valley scored twice in the sixth inning, and once in each of the seventh and eighth innings but couldn’t string together enough on offense on nine hits to threaten Valley’s lead.
Alex Hanson (Mercer), playing his second straight game in the leadoff spot, led the way offensively with three hits and a run in five at-bats. He also made two highlight-reel catches at center field to help the Nighthawks’ defense.
“I feel like we’ve gotten down early in the last two games,” Hanson said. “It’s hard as a hitter to come back, down by seven or whatever. The pitcher has more confidence at that point.”
Mabray failed to make it out of the second inning, giving up an RBI double to Valley’s Hezekiah Randolph and an RBI single to Erik Ostberg with two outs. Layne, who was the pitching hero last Monday against Sanford, finished the inning, but gave up four hits, two earned runs and a walk in two innings.
Joe Levasseur (St. Anselm) saved the day, going four innings in relief allowing three hits, one unearned run and a walk.
Matt Maul (St. Joseph’s) got things going for the Nighthawks in the sixth inning, hitting a bomb into deep center field for an RBI triple that brought lead-off batter Hanson home from first base. Denison, the next batter, drove in Maul from third off a ground-out fielder’s choice, giving the Nighthawks their first runs in 14 innings.
Upper Valley chipped away in the seventh inning as Walker Grisanti (Vanderbilt) drove in Al Molina (Seton Hall) from third with an RBI single. The Nighthawks loaded the bases in the eighth inning and scored again off a sacrifice pop-up by Molina. But Charlie Concannon’s popup ended the inning.
Cenatiempo spent several minutes addressing his team near third base after the loss, taking Molina and closer Jarod Yoakam (Cincinnati) over the side to chat with them individually. Yoakam gave up two hits, two walks and an earned run in the ninth inning in relief.
Upper Valley will have an off-day today before a stretch of seven games in seven days starting Monday at the North Adams SteepleCats.
Notes: Nighthawks outfielder Grayson Padgett, who is still dealing with a lower back injury, took batting practice before Saturday’s game. Padgett (Houston) said it’s an issue he has a history with and that he hopes to return to the lineup sometime next week. … Brian Mims, who left the Nighthawks to try out for a collegiate Team USA squad in California last Sunday, did not make the team and will return to the Upper Valley. Nighthawks GM Noah Crane said the timetable for Mims’ return is still up in the air, but the Upper Valley second baseman will return at some point this summer. The Nighthawks’ lack of infield depth has cost them in their last few games. … Before the game, Upper Valley added some pitching and catching depth, signing Kansas City Community College pitcher Avery Fliger and South Carolina Upstate catcher Lukas Ray to the roster. Upper Valley has two catchers, James Morisano and A.J. Walden, that already take on heavy workloads. Crane said Ray is an addition that can give his two catchers some rest. … Ryan Takacs, from Manhattan, will start on the mound for Upper Valley on Monday against North Adams.