Nighthawks Pummel Mountaineers to Force Game Six in 2026 Governor's Cup Series

By Thaddeus Sawyer

With the Governor’s Cup on the line, the Nighthawks stayed alive. 

Upper Valley (15-13-1) rode a nine-run seventh inning to take down the Vermont Mountaineers (11-18), 16-1, and force a decisive game six against their in-state rivals later in July.

“​​This means everything,” starting pitcher Eric Santaella said. 
"This is really one of the most important games of the year. Now, we know it's the second most important. The most important is going to be game six. I know one of the guys will definitely step up.”

Santaella was awarded the lineup card by Nighthawks manager Chase Allen after earning his first win of the summer. The right-hander tossed a season-high six innings, striking out four and allowing just one run on a failed pickoff attempt in his final inning of work.

“He's now in attack mode,” Allen said of Santaella’s performance since rejoining the rotation last Friday against the North Adams SteepleCats.

Santaella, who recently committed to the University of North Carolina Asheville, said that having the pressure of finding a new home for next season off his shoulders helped him to worry less about searching for strikeouts and instead focus on getting outs.

The former Pace University pitcher also said that this summer has helped him adjust to facing Division I-caliber offenses.

“Definitely got to mix it up a lot more,” Santaella said. “Division II guys, you could get away with a sneaky fastball, dead middle, but here, they really make you pay for it. It really makes me better with just locating my pitches and making sure I stay away from the middle.”

Offensively, Nick Quagliato picked up another three hits and drove in a pair of runs with an RBI double as part of the Nighthawks’ big seventh inning. The catcher has now driven in 13 runs across the Nighthawks’ four-game winning streak.

“Everyone's just playing the game, everyone's just staying within themselves,” Quagliato said. “Everyone's doing their own specific job. Everyone's stacking up the small wins. It starts with [batting practice], it starts with catch play. We win those small little things, it just comes with the greater successes within the game. Just chopping wood and just picking each other up.”

Left fielder Kyle Langley also notched an RBI for the fourth straight game with run-scoring singles in both the third and seventh.

“I try to take as selfless of an at-bat as I can every time,” Langley said. “If there's a guy in scoring position for me, I'm just doing whatever I can to get that run in and help us win. 
It's not as much about the results.”

Frank Kelly and James Love also had multi-RBI singles in the seventh, while Ethan Brown recorded a run-scoring groundout in his first game action of 2026.

The RBI single for Love was his second of the game, as the designated hitter did the same in the fourth. Kelly, Alejandro Puig and Willie Hurt all had RBIs in the early innings, with Hurt’s double into left center opening the scoring for Upper Valley in the second.

Kelly also scored an unearned run in the sixth on a wild pitch while Langley scored on an error by pitcher Andrew Tringe in the seventh.

Quagliato, Puig and Hurt all posted three-hit performances, while Love led the lineup with four RBIs.

On the mound, Jackson Caldwell tossed two scoreless innings while Mason Phillips closed out the contest with a perfect frame of his own.

The Nighthawks have now scored 47 runs across their season-high four-game winning streak that began with their 6-2 victory over Sanford on Tuesday.

Upper Valley will look to maintain that offensive outbreak against the North Shore Navigators on Saturday when they travel to Lynn, Massachusetts. The season series between the two teams is currently tied at 1-1.

First pitch at Fraser Field is scheduled for 5 p.m. Fans can stream live on ESPN+.