Nighthawks Take Down Waves To Secure Winning Record

By Thaddeus Sawyer

For the second straight night, a late-inning comeback propelled the Nighthawks to a narrow victory.

This time around, a Willie Hurt single into center field drove in the game-winning run in the seventh inning, giving the Nighthawks (7-6-1) a 5-4 victory over the Ocean State Waves (5-9) and a winning record for the first time this season.

“I think the resiliency of this group is who these guys are as humans,” Nighthawks manager Chase Allen said. “We've got good players, but also we have better people.”

Though the Nighthawks came into the seventh facing a one-run deficit, they quickly went to work on erasing that gap.

After designated hitter Frank Kelly roped a double into left field to move right fielder Levi Jones to third, Waves reliever Brennan Cofrenda uncorked a wild pitch that bounced between the legs of catcher Kalen Applefield to tie the game.

Hurt then floated a into center scored Kelly, who had also advanced a base on the wild pitch, for the eventual game-winning run.

“[The wild pitch] doesn't change my approach, but having the opportunity to get in the winning run instead of the tying run is a lot cooler of an opportunity,” Hurt said.

The Waves weren’t given much of a chance after that to make a comeback of their own, as reliever Brendan Walker entered the game with two away in the seventh and promptly retired all seven batters he faced to set the Waves down quietly.

“Honestly, I was just flipping in changeups, hoping they either missed it, took it or just hit it weakly into the ground,” Walker said.

Walker, who was awarded the lineup card postgame by Allen after recording his first win of the summer, has now thrown five scoreless innings in three appearances to start the season, striking out eight.

Though Nighthawks starter Kyle Batt lasted only three innings after allowing three no-out runs after loading the bases in the first inning, Nick Tamburro saved the Upper Valley bullpen by coming for 3 2/3 innings of one-run baseball.

The only run the right-hander surrendered came in the top of the seventh, when designated hitter Gabriel Milano singled into right and the ball got away from Jones, giving Waves right fielder Brodey Bitove the chance to score from second for a temporary lead.

In addition to their seventh-inning comeback, the Nighthawks also had to rally from the three-run deficit handed to them in the first.

After getting one back on an RBI groundout from Anthony Greco, his first RBI since his home run in Game No. 2 of the season against Newport over two weeks ago, the Nighthawks loaded the bases themselves in the fourth.

Second baseman Tim Dickinson came through with an RBI single to score one, and Alejandro Puig brought in another with a sac fly.

Hurt and Nick Quagliato tied for the team lead with two hits apiece. Both Hurt and Quagliato, as well as James Love swiped a bag. Hurt’s stolen base kept him tied for second in the league with nine.

In addition to stealing a base, Quagliato also threw out a pair of runners on the basepaths, putting on a show behind the plate.

Tamburro also picked a runner of first to end the fifth inning.

Now above .500, the Nighthawks will head to North Adams for the second time this season to face the SteepleCats (1-12), who own the worst record in the league.

First pitch at Joe Wolfe Field is scheduled for 4 p.m. The game will stream live on NECBL+.