Waves Snap Sharks' 10-Game Winning Streak in 11-6 Victory

The Ocean State Waves handed the Martha's Vineyard Sharks their first loss in 10 games on Friday night, erupting for 11 runs in an 11-6 victory.

Benton Hickman got the start for the Waves, making his third appearance on the mound this season.

Ocean State struck first in the bottom of the second inning, taking advantage of a bases-loaded opportunity. William Mahala drew a walk to bring home Max Farrell before Gavin Marchese lined a single to left field, scoring Cameron Papetti and Gabriel Milano for a 3-0 lead. The Waves added another run later in the inning on an RBI from Blaize Ward to make it 4-0.

Hickman dominated through the first four innings, holding the Sharks scoreless while allowing just two hits and recording five strikeouts.

Martha's Vineyard erased the deficit in the top of the fourth when Griffin Crain launched a grand slam to tie the game at four.

The Waves answered immediately.

In the bottom half of the inning, Charlie Saul delivered the biggest swing of the night with a three-run home run to restore Ocean State's lead at 8-4. The homer was Saul's third of the season after he hit two in the Waves' victory over the Newport Gulls earlier this week.

The Sharks attempted another rally later in the game, but Saul came through defensively as well, making a key catch in left field that prevented two runs from scoring and helped preserve the Waves' advantage.

The Waves continued to apply pressure offensively, adding three more runs to extend their lead to 11-6.

With the game in hand, the Waves turned to Cooper Waddle in the ninth inning. Waddle remained calm, striking out five batters while allowing just one hit to secure the victory.

After the game, Saul credited the team's approach at the plate for the offensive outburst.

"On the hitting side of things, I'm just trusting the approach that our coaches are working on us with, and I think everybody's doing a really good job executing that," Saul said. "It's been a lot of fun putting in the work and getting better."

Saul also reflected on the significance of ending Martha's Vineyard's winning streak.

"Honestly, it's awesome. I think we're just having a lot of fun playing together, and that's been leading to success for us," Saul said.

The 11 runs marked the most the Sharks have allowed in a game this season.

The Waves will look to carry that momentum into Saturday night's road matchup against the Upper Valley Nighthawks before returning home for a Father's Day contest against the North Shore Navigators on Sunday.