Knights magical World Series run ends in semi-finals
The sixth seeded Northern Essex Community College baseball team saw their magical World Series run come to a close on Tuesday afternoon as they fell to second seeded and reigning national champion RCSJ Gloucester in the semi-finals to finish as the fourth-place team in the tournament
Johnson City, TN (May 26, 2026) – The sixth seeded Northern Essex Community College baseball team saw their magical World Series run come to a close on Tuesday afternoon as they fell to second seeded and reigning national champion RCSJ Gloucester by a 16-2 final score in the semi-finals to finish as the fourth-place team in the tournament.
The Knights conclude the season with a 33-10 overall record and 2026 marks their fourth all-time top four finish in the World Series.
NECC jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run home from Jack Aylward (Lowell) as he went to the opposite field and skied the ball over the 20-foot fence in right field for his second home run of the tournament. Owen Derocher (Berkley) led off the inning with a triple to the gap in right center field.
The lead was short lived for the Knights as Gloucester tied the game up in the top half of the third inning with a home run of their own, before erupting for 10 runs in the fourth inning off a trio of pitchers. The James Madison University bound Jack Kelleher (Haverhill) took the ball to start the game on short rest and went 3.2 innings to cap his NECC career allowing six earned runs while striking out two.
Previous top four finishes for the Knights at the World Series came in 2012, 2016 and 2023 as the 2026 season marked the programs 12th all-time World Series appearance.