Haverhill, MA (April 27, 2026) – The #7 Northern Essex Community College baseball team pounded out 14 hits and defeated Bunker Hill by a 14-0 final score on Tuesday afternoon to improve to 23-7 on the year and 15-0 in region play. With three region games to go, the Knights have secured the top seed in next week's region tournament.
For the opening four innings, the game appeared to be a classic pitchers dual with NECC holding 1-0 lead when Jaren Megan (Fairhaven) led the game off with a homerun to right field, before the fllordates started to open in the fifth inning.
NECC would plate 13 runs in the fifth through seventh innings, Megan would score the second run of the game after leading the inning off with a walk, he would come around to score on a passed, before Owen Derocher (Berkley) would drive in a pair of runs with a base hit up the middle.
Jack Aylward (Lowell) would put the game out of reach in the sixth inning, when he clubbed a one out grand slam over the fence in left field, for four of his six RBI's in the game.
The Knights would conclude the scoring in the game with six runs in the seventh, Aylward and David Castillo (Boston) would each record two RBI base hits with one before Derocher grounded into an RBI fields choice and Stephen Diaz (Lawrence) would rip a double to left center field.
Eric Bridges (Saugus) got the win on the mound as he went six innings allowing six hits, striking out four and walking three.
NECC will head to Brockton on Friday afternoon to open their three-game series with Massasoit, before hosting the Warriors in a double header on Saturday afternoon beginning at 3:00pm at Haverhill Stadium. Opening round action in the Region 21 Tournament is set for Wednesday May 6th at 7:00pm.