Gulls Sweep Third Straight Double Header

August 1, 2013 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Newport Gulls News Release


NEWPORT, R.I. - The Newport Gulls won their fifth and sixth straight in a regular season double header home finale at Cardines Field against the Sanford Mainers and New Bedford Bay Sox. With the evening victory over the Bay Sox, the Gulls clinch home field advantage not only throughout the first and second round of the playoffs, but the championship series if they should make it to that ultimate stage in the 2013 season. In the afternoon set, the flock got on the board first in the first inning against the Moose when middle-of-the-order work horses Ben Roberts and Steve Anderson strung together back-to-back RBI singles to make it 2-0 Newport quickly in their first set of nine innings.

Timmy Robinsonserved as the catalyst for run insurance in the eighth when he hit a one-out RBI single to left to bring around Trace Tam Sing, who would cross home for the second time in the ball game. Cody Jones, who went 2-for-4 on the afternoon, picked up his first RBI of the day with a two-out single up the middle to make it 4-0 Newport Gulls.

Joe Ioriopicked up the save after one and 1/3 innings of relief, working out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth, allowing just one Moose to cross home before striking out Mainers lead-off man Robert Wayman to get Mick Van Vossen the win.

Mick Van Vossenpicked up his fourth win of the season, coming off of an injury to his ankle back in early July.Van Vossen was hitless through his first four innings, walking only two and striking out nine.

The Newport Gulls community expressed their appreciation for the organization's host families in the evening, recognizing all those who support players during the regular season.

Looking very similar to the start of their afternoon contest against Plymouth on Wednesday, the Gulls' first run of the game came on a two-out, bases-loaded walk worked by Cody Jones - his 27th of the season.

However, Newport would not hold onto their slim lead long, when Kurt Seiders hit a line drive to shallow left field to bring home Carl Anderson from second to tie things up at one apiece.

Kyle Hart and the Gulls immediately felt the effects of errors in the fifth inning, as Andrew Dundon hit a no-out, two-RBI double to right-center field to give the Bay Sox the lead 3-1 over the Newport Gulls.

Newport rebounded offensively in the bottom of the fifth. Ben Roberts stepped up to the dish, bases loaded with two-outs, and belted a pitch over the 28-foot fence to lift the Gulls to a 5-3 lead. Roberts, with his fifth home run of the season and 35th runs batted in, gave Newport its first grand slam of the year in the 2013 regular season home finale.

Brett Wingercontinued the two-out action, keeping the inning alive with a two-base hit to left to break it open and make it 7-3 Flock.

The Bay Sox would cut the Gulls lead in the ensuing inning as a fielder's choice and throwing error from Winger air-mailed into left field allowed New Bedford to bring two across the plate in the sixth.

Cody Jonesused his wheels in the bottom of the sixth to give Newport some more run insurance when he crossed home plate on a wild pitch by New Bedford reliever Graig Weber to extend the Flock's lead to three.

In the bottom of the seventh, Newport would put runs on the board for the third straight inning, coming on Cody Jones one-out single and two wild pitches. The Gulls picked up three runs on the night from Bay Sox wild pitches.

The Newport Gulls went on to seal home field advantage through to the NECBL Championship Series, as they went on to defeat the New Bedford Bay Sox 11-5. Through the final four innings, Newport rode into victory on the arm of southpaw Kyle McGrath out of Louisville.

McGrath aided starter Kyle Hart, whoin his second start of the season picked up his first win with Newport, going six innings allowing five runs on seven hits while fanning six. Kyle Wilcox came on in the 9th in a non-save situation to round out a trio of Kyles on the mound, and struck out the side around a single to end the game and win the season series versus New Bedford 4 games to 1.

With both wins, Newport improves to 29-14, sweeping all three of their double-headers at home this week. On Friday, the flock will travel to Danbury to take on the Westerners in the 2013 regular season finale at Rogers Park. The Gulls will send Darin Gillies (2-1, 4.10 ERA) to the mound while the Westerners will send Rob Blanc (3-2, 3.97 ERA) to take on the beast of the East.

The Gulls will be off Saturday before taking on the NECBL East's fourth-seeded team in postseason play on Sunday. The NECBL Eastern Division Semifinal playoffs will begin Sunday at Cardines Field in Newport at 6:35 p.m.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from August 1, 2013


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