BY MIKE ALONGI| July 8, 2021

LYNN — As the North Shore Navigators hit their midseason stride, a number of local players are also rounding into form for the home stretch. 

Swampscott native Luke Marshall is one such player, and the Stonehill College rising senior demonstrated that Tuesday night with his best outing of the season. Marshall pitched six innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just one hit while striking out a season-high nine batters in a 5-0 Navs victory.

"I'm just feeling really comfortable out there on the mound," said Marshall. "I'm throwing a lot of strikes and my offspeed stuff has been really solid, and it's all helping me build confidence."

It makes sense that Marshall is really starting to feel comfortable with North Shore. The former Swampscott High star is now in his second season with the Navs, having pitched in 11 games during the 2020 season. Marshall then turned that into a solid junior season at Stonehill, pitching in eight games with seven starts and going 2-for-2 with 46 strikeouts and a 4.63 ERA in a limited, 32-game season.

"The spring season was definitely different, but it was great because we still got to play and got in more than 30 games," said Marshall.

Transitioning back to summer baseball has been smooth for Marshall, who has started more games (five) and pitched more innings (24) than any other Navigators pitcher so far this season. He also has a 4.50 ERA and leads the team in strikeouts with 29. 

"I feel like I'm in a really good spot right now," said Marshall. "I'm learning a lot from all the guys and I'm getting more comfortable every day. It's all about comfort and confidence for me, and I feel like I just keep building it all up."

Marshall's success has also helped the team's success, as the Navs currently sit in fourth place in the New England Collegiate Baseball League Northern Division at 11-8-2, just two games out of first place. With less than four weeks left in the season, Marshall and the Navs are hoping to make a charge to the playoffs.

"Everyone on the team has the same goals in mind, and we want to make a run," said Marshall. "Our pitching has been phenomenal and our hitting has really started to come on lately, and we have a bunch of guys who really want to play as long as possible."

Once he finishes up with the Navs, Marshall will be on his way back to Stonehill for his senior year. While he will be an academic senior, his athletic eligibility will be extended an extra year if he chooses to use it due to the NCAA's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

But more importantly, Marshall is looking forward to playing a full season with his Stonehill teammates once again next spring.

"Even though we got to play a season this past spring, we still missed a lot of things," said Marshall. "It'll be great to come back next year and have a full season with all of our trips and everything back on. Those are some of my favorite parts of the season."

Full article: https://www.itemlive.com/2021/07/08/swampscott-native-luke-marshall-finding-his-groove-with-north-shore-navigators/