Haverhill, MA (May 17, 2026) – After falling in game two of the Northeast District Tournament on Sunday, the Northern Essex Community College baseball team bounced back in a big way in the nightcap as they outslugged Monroe-Bronx to take the deciding game by a 15-7 final score. The championship victory gives the Knights a 31-8 overall record as they head into the eight-team World Series. This is the fifth straight year the team has earned a World Series spot.

Northeast District Champions

Trailing 7-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Knights plated nine runs in the frame and took a seven-run lead before the inning ended, deflating the sails of Monroe. The first eight runs of the inning would be scored before Monroe could record an out. Jack Aylward (Lowell), Marbel Soriano (Boston), Jaren Megan (Fairhaven) and Jake Yngber (Miami, FL) all recorded RBI hits in the inning as a pair of runs were also scored on a bases-loaded walk and a hit batsman.

The Knights fell behind early as Monroe jumped out to a 5-0 lead through one and a half innings before the Knights would claw their way back into the game with three runs in the bottom half of the second. Soriano got the Knights on the board with a two RBI triple after Owen Derocher (Berkeley) led the inning off with a triple of his own. Soriano would score from third on a balk by the pitcher.

NECC tied the game up in the third before Monroe took the lead back in the top half of the fourth. David Castillo (Boston) led off the third with a double and immediately scored when Yngber tripled to center and would eventually score on a bases-loaded walk.

With the bats coming alive, Dominic Pefine (North Andover) kept the Knights in the game as he threw 5.1 innings before Castillo came in from his shortstop position to hold the opposition hitless for the final 3.2 innings of the game.

NECC outhit Monroe 15-11, including six extra base hits compared to two for Monroe. Castillo, Yngber, Derocher and Soriano all recorded multi-hit and multi-RBI performances in the championship game, while Derocher and Brooke Keefe (Marblehead) both stayed hot with a multi-hit game.

The NJCAA World Series is scheduled to begin on May 23rd at TVA Credit Union Ballpark in Johnson City, TN. Seeding and first round matchups will be announced on Tuesday, May 19th at 5:00 p.m. live on the NJCAA Network.