Bay Sox vs Gatemen Recap

Published on June 10, 2017 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
New Bedford Bay Sox News Release


The New Bedford Bay Sox took the lead into the late innings in their exhibition matchup with their neighbors from the Cape Cod League, but could not hold on in a 6-3 loss to the Wareham Gatemen on Saturday night at Paul Walsh Field.

The Gatemen scored twice in the eighth and twice in the ninth in the 10-inning exhibition encounter, and utilized some solid bullpen work over the final six innings to silence the Bay Sox' bats. Former Bay Sox and 2016 NECBL All-Star Samuel Nepiarsky pitched a 1-2-3 tenth inning to end the contest.

The Bay Sox struck for three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, as they collected their first hits of the evening and plated two runs on what should have been an easy groundout to end their threat. Corey Joyce (North Carolina Central), who had the game-winning hit in Friday's night extra-inning victory, ripped a single to leadoff the fourth. He moved to second on a passed ball, and was joined on the bases by Notre Dame's Nick Neville, who was hit by a pitch on the wrist. Nick Matera (Rutgers) drove in the first run of the game with a double, and the Sox tacked on two more runs after Wareham second baseman Brandon Lockridge made an errant toss to first base on a routine grounder by Dan Schock (Sacred Heart).

New Bedford starter Fino Brito (Rutgers) was impressive in his first outing of the year, tossing five scoreless innings before being charged for two runs in the top of the sixth inning. Brito gave up back-to-back singles to start the game, but leadoff hitter Lockridge was thrown out trying to stretch his single into two bases. Brito's defense had his back with double plays in the first two innings, and then the junior right-hander settled in to retire nine of the next ten batters he faced.

Brito got into some trouble in the sixth, as he gave up a leadoff walk and a single before being replaced by Sacred Heart southpaw James Taubl. Wareham's first DH Dalton Davis singled to load the bases, and their second DH - they used ten hitters due to this being an exhibition game - Gustavo Rios drove in two with a double. Taubl got out of the jam thanks to the third double play of the evening, as right fielder Zach Kurtz (Richmond) gunned down Davis at the plate after a fly out by Andy Shadid.

The Gatemen took their first lead of the game in the top of the eighth inning, as John Toppa singled and Robbie Metz doubled to place runners on second and third with no outs. Shadid drove in Toppa with a fly ball to center field, and Garrett Zech gave Wareham the lead on a bloop single to center field.

The visitors added to their lead in the ninth off of Dighton's Zack Reid (UMass Dartmouth). Austin Constantini drove in Joseph Pena with a single that dropped just in front of a diving Dante Baldelli (Boston College) in center field. Shadid drove in Metz with an RBI double, but Constantini was tagged out at the plate as the Bay Sox outfield made two quality throws home to limit the late inning surge by Wareham.

Wareham threatened to blow the game wide open in the top of the tenth, as they loaded the bases on reliever Dante Scafidi (Rutgers), but the lefty got a pop-out to his catcher Matera for the first out and the fourth double play of the night to keep the deficit at three runs before Nepiarsky sealed the victory.

This was the final exhibition game for the Gatemen, who start their season next week. The Bay Sox (2-1) have Sunday off before returning to the road for a contest with the Plymouth Pilgrims on Monday evening. Their next home tilt is on Tuesday night, as the Mystic Schooners will come to New Bedford for the second time in the early NECBL season.

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New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 10, 2017


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