Gulls Open Floodgates at Wareham

June 10, 2013 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Newport Gulls News Release


WAREHAM, Mass. - The Newport Gulls cruised to victory Sunday night in an exhibition matchup against the Cape Cod Baseball League's Wareham Gatemen at Spillane Field, beating the 2012 CCBL champions 7-3 on their home turf.

The Gatemen featured a different pitcher in all nine innings of a contest that featured relaxed rules for both the designated hitter and substitutions. Both teams are still awaiting the arrival of nearly half their 2013 rosters.

The Gatemen struck first in the third annual exhibition, won last June at Cardines Field in Newport by Wareham and by the Gulls in 2011 at Spillane. Three straight hits off of Newport starter Joe Iorio (Barry) produced a run in the home half of the first, and an RBI groundout sent home another.

But the Gatemen would be kept off the scoreboard until the sixth thanks to sharp Newport defense (the Gulls were errorless for the first time and turned two double plays) and solid work on the mound from three pitchers.

Iorio allowed two earned runs on four hits, walking two and striking out two through three innings of work. Meanwhile, the Gulls, who managed just a single in each of the first two innings, came alive in the third.

Iorio, batting out of the nine spot in the order, walked to lead off the inning. Wareham pitcher Fred Shepard, a non-roster invitee out of Amherst College, then had to contend with two on and no one out after an error allowed Cody Jones (TCU) to reach. A Trace Tam Sing (Washington State) single loaded the bases, and the Gulls collected three runs on an RBI walk from Timmy Robinson (USC) and a misplayed double play ball that netted the Gulls two.

After Ben Roberts (Washington State) walked with two out in the fifth, Robinson blasted a 3-2 fastball from Ryan Riga (Ohio State) into the left field bleachers, the first Gulls home run of the summer. They would add two more in the seventh thanks to a walk, two more Wareham errors and a Steve Anderson (Georgetown) RBI hit.

In all, Newport managed seven runs on eight hits, stranding eight on base. Meanwhile, solid relief pitching kept the Gatemen at bay, who totaled six hits, six walks, and stranded six, striking out six times.

Gulls Assistant Coach Frank Holbrook (Wheaton), a pitcher on the 2012 Gulls championship squad, came on to pitch the fourth, retiring six straight batters before allowing a run on two walks and two hits in the sixth. Holbrook, who pitched three innings and struck out two Gatemen looking, earned the win. Normally Newport's first base coach, Holbrook coached third for Hitting Coach Al Leyva for the game's final three innings. Those innings featured near-perfect pitching from Eric Stone (Boston College), who walked one batter (who was then caught stealing 2-6 by catcher Matt Foley (Rhode Island College)) and struck out two while inducing six ground ball outs, collecting a three-inning save.

Newport returns to action Monday night at 6:35 p.m. at Cardines Field as the Gulls face their NECBL Eastern Division foe the Mystic Schooners for the first time. Returning Gull Brett Graves (Missouri) will get the start.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 10, 2013


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