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New Bedford Shutouts Newport

July 30, 2016 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
New Bedford Bay Sox News Release


It took the New Bedford Bay Sox four tries, but they are finally at .500 and on the verge of clinching a playoff spot after a 1-7 start to the season.

The combination of Dylan Collett (St. Leo) and Darrien Ragins (Delaware State) limited the Newport Gulls to just five hits in an immaculate 2-0 victory to remain in third place in the crowded Southern Division of the NECBL.

Collett, who was the First Citizens Player of the Game, threw seven shutout innings in a spot start, as scheduled starter Samuel Nepiarsky (UConn) was moved up to pitch in last night's 3-1 victory over Ocean State. Collett fanned six Gulls hitters while walking just two and spreading five hits around his start. Ragins collected his seventh save of the season, striking out four while issuing two walks and allowing no hits.

Collett, who has worked out of the bullpen for most of the year, was pressed into the start on the mound, as the Bay Sox roster is feeling the effects of having two days off in the last two weeks in the dead of summer. Collett surrendered a leadoff walk to Cole Fabio, who reached third base with one out on a groundout and stolen base, but made an outstanding defensive play on a comebacker. Collett knocked the hot shot down, gloved the ball, and flipped it in one motion to Jakob Goldfarb (Oregon), who tagged out Fabio for the second out of the frame.

New Bedford loaded the bases in the first inning, with Ted Shaw (Sacred Heart) doubling with one out to deep center field and both Goldfarb and Alex Mata (St. Leo) drawing walks. Newport starter Andrew Gish was able to escape the jam without allowing a run, retiring Ryan Baldwin (Barry) via a strikeout to end the first.

The home squad flashed the leather throughout the first few innings, with Ryan Rotondo (Maryland Eastern Shore) making a terrific play at short in the second, and Andrew Penner (Los Angeles Valley) diving into short right field well behind the first base bag before flipping to Collett for another stellar out in the fourth. Collett was dealing on the mound in his spot start, striking out five batters while allowing just one hit and one walk through the first four frames. Gist was equally as impressive on the hill for Newport, striking out six Bay Sox hitters through four while sitting down 11 of the 13 batters he faced after loading the bases in the first.

Collett loaded the bases in the fifth on a walk, hit batter, and bunt attempt that was bobbled by Goldfarb. With no outs, it looked certain that Newport would score the game's first run(s), but the outstanding Bay Sox defense came through yet again. Penner made a solid play at first, cutting off a grounder and firing to the plate for the force play for the first out, then Collett induced a classic 6-4-3 double play to end the inning and leave the game scoreless.

The Bay Sox used the momentum of getting out of the bases loaded situation to plate the first run of the game. With one out, Penner singled and advanced to second on an errant throw from third baseman Trey Harris. Penner was driven in with two outs by Goldfarb, who dropped a single in front of left fielder Chris Chatfield. With the RBI single, Goldfarb took the team lead in runs batted in with 22 RBIs in 33 games played with New Bedford.

Collett worked out of another jam in the seventh inning, as he allowed back-to-back singles on sharply hit balls to the infield. Coach Kyle Fernandes allowed the lefty hurler from Altamont, NY to stay in the game, and he rewarded his manager with a strikeout of Fabio to close out his tremendous start. Collett more than doubled his previous longest outing of the season, which was 3.1 innings against the Gulls on July 11th.

After another great escape by Collett, the Bay Sox struck again for an insurance run in front of Ragins, who is the most dominant closer in the league. Newport reliever Kris Bubic, who struck out the side in the sixth, lost all control, walking three batters to load the bases in front of Goldfarb. The Oregon standout blooped another single to left field, plating T.J. Dixon (Samford) for a 2-0 lead.

Ragins walked two batters in the eighth, but struck out two as well to keep the two-run advantage. He whiffed the first two Gulls in the ninth on just six pitches, then hit designated hitter Mark Powell with a pitch but got Fabio to pop out to second base to end the game.

The Bay Sox moved to .500 for the first time this season with the win, and remain in third place with two games left on their schedule. They can clinch a playoff spot, and possibly reserve a meeting with the Gulls with a win over Danbury on Sunday night at home. They will close out the regular season at home on Monday night against the plummeting Ocean State Waves, who have lost 12 out of their last 13 games to fall to the bottom of the Southern Division.

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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 30, 2016


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