Gulls Top Vermont, 9-7, Handing Mountaineers First Loss of Season

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Gulls Top Vermont, 9-7, Handing Mountaineers First Loss of Season

June 4, 2025 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Vermont Mountaineers News Release


NEWPORT, R.I. - The defending champions proved too much for the Mountaineers as the Newport Gulls defeated Vermont 9-7 on Wednesday night.

Vermont fell into an early 5-0 hole but battled back to tie the game at five in the sixth inning. Newport's three-run seventh proved to be the difference.

The Basics

Score: Vermont 7, Newport 9

Records: Vermont 1-1, Newport 1-1

Location: Newport, R.I | Cardines Field

Rapid Recap

Newport's bats woke up early, plating two runs in the first via Ty Stecker's RBI double and "Dre" Lewis' RBI single.

Cooper Montelbano got the start for the Mountaineers. He threw 1.2 innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs plus a strikeout.

Vermont managed three hits through the first three innings but came up empty, falling behind 5-0 as Newport's Petey Craska and Stecker mashed back-to-back homers off Ant Ehly and a Mountaineers error that scored a third run in the third inning.

The Mountaineers chipped away in the fourth, notching two runs via a four-walk inning from Ty Acker, Charlie Rogan, Rory Finn and Bennett Shealor. A Tank Yaghoubi RBI infield single scored the second run of the inning, but a baserunning mistake ended the inning on the same play.

Jaylen Hernandez launched a no-doubt home run over the right field fence to lead off the fifth inning, making it a 5-3 game.

Noah Hertzler tossed 2.2 innings in relief, striking out four and allowing just one run on one hit.

In the sixth, Matthew Minckler's bunt single started a Vermont surge. Minckler stole second and scored on Bennett Shealor's RBI single. Rogan doubled and Hernandez notched his second RBI on a ground ball out to tie the game at five.

A walk and two wild pitches from Ryan VanDeWater set up Randy Seymour's infield single to break the tie at five in the bottom of the sixth.

The Mountaineers went down 1-2-3 in the seventh inning while the Gulls' three-spot gave them a four-run lead entering the eight.

Joshua Rivera struck out four of the five batters he faced in a scoreless relief appearance for Vermont.

Ashton Gilio's leadoff base hit, Minckler's RBI triple and a ball to the backstop cut the Mountaineers' deficit to two, but Vermont's final six batters went down in order to end the comeback effort.

Game Notes

WP: John Hegarty (1-0) | LP: Noah Hertzler (0-1) | SV: Jake Gregor (1)

Minckler has started the season with back-to-back games with an RBI.

Hernandez has reached base six times through two games.

Vermont's pitching staff struck out 13 Newport batters Wednesday, good for 25 to open the year. Seven wild pitches and two passed balls helped Newport overcome the punchouts.

The Mountaineers stole two bases (Minckler, Acker) after swiping seven in the opener.

Up Next

The Mountaineers head back to Vermont for the home opener versus North Adams at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Montpelier Recreation Field on NECBL+.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 4, 2025


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