HOLYOKE, MA–A season-high crowd of 2,257 fans saw stellar defense and a lot of hard-hit balls, but little luck for the Valley Blue Sox in a 5-0 loss to the Ocean State Waves at Mackenzie Stadium on July 6.
Valley sits at 6-15 on the season.
Ocean State scored what proved to be the winning run just half an inning into the game, with a walk and two doubles in the first. They added two in the sixth, one in the seventh, and one in the ninth as well.
The Blue Sox were plagued with misfortune at the plate all game long. They got the leadoff man on in the fifth as catcher Justin Hazard singled, and the next batter hit a line drive that was snared by the pitcher and made into a double play. In the seventh, they loaded the bases with no outs, only to see another liner snared by the pitcher for a 1-3 DP and were unable to score. In the ninth, they had runners at the corners but could not plate anyone.
The Blue Sox will regroup and head to Sanford on Tuesday to battle the Mainers for the second of six contests against their North Division rival before returning home Wednesday, July 9 against the Danbury Westerners.