DANBURY, CT—The #4 Danbury Westerners came out second best in a 19-3 loss in Game 2 of the 2021 NECBL Southern Division Finals against the #1 Martha’s Vineyard Sharks.
Vineyard scored in six of nine innings, while an 11 run top of the second inning put the Sharks out in front. After that half-inning, the Sharks never looked back.
The eleven runs scored by the Sharks in the second inning started with Vineyard catcher Jorge Corona lining a three-run home run to left field. After the bases became loaded by an AJ Shaver single and two walks, Jadyn Jackson worked a walk of his own to give Vineyard a 4-0 lead. Jake Berger hit a two-RBI double and then Jackson scored after an infield error from Danbury, the first of five errors on the night. Will Duff and AJ Shaver each had RBI singles before Brad Grenkoski brought them both across to score on a two-RBI double. Going into the top of the third, the Sharks led the Westerners 11-0.
Jack Payton got Danbury on the board in the top of the third on an RBI double which scored Justin Jordan.
AJ Shaver scored in the top of the fourth on an infield Westerners error to make the score 12-1 Sharks.
Henry Strmecki slapped a solo home run to right field in the bottom of the fourth for his third home run in the series. Justin Jordan also got in on the hitting with an RBI double which scored Sebastian Murillo.
Jadyn Jackson brought in yet another Sharks run in the top of the sixth with an RBI single, but he was gunned down at second by Justin Jordan trying to leg out another base on the play. Two more runs came in for the Sharks in the top of the seventh with a Grant Norris sac fly and a wild pitch. In the eighth inning, Jake Berger also hit an RBI double to give the Sharks a 16-3 lead.
Three Sharks were walked in in the top of the ninth with the bases loaded to give Game 2 its 19-3 final score.
The #4 Danbury Westerners will have Game 3 of the 2021 NECBL Southern Division Finals against the #1 Martha’s Vineyard Sharks on August 10 at 7 PM. The game will be live-streamed on the NECBL Network.
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