Gulls Win Game One of DCS 5-1 over Schooners
August 7, 2013 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Newport Gulls News Release
NEWPORT, R.I. - In his first start at shortstop for Newport this season, Cougar Shea Donlin lead the Gulls to a 5-1 victory over Eastern Division rival Mystic to capture Game One of the Eastern Division Championship Series Wednesday night at Cardines Field. While Donlin went 3-for-4 at the plate, southpaw Mark McCoy pitched six scoreless innings en route to picking up the critical postseason win, Newport's 10th straight victory going back to the regular season.
The Newport Gulls got to the Schooners early, stringing together four singles in the bottom of the first inning to get the Flock on the board first against the Schooners. With the bases loaded, Timmy Robinson stepped up to the plate in search of his first hit of the night.
Mystic Schooners starting pitcher Anthony Galan found himself in trouble early, as a wild pitch found itself far enough away from catcher Kyle Holland for Shea Donlin to score from third to make it 1-0 Newport.
On the following pitch, Robinson hit a frozen rope right to second baseman Alec Keller, which bounced off of his glove into shallow right to score two more Gulls.
In the bottom of the third, Ty Moore drove in a run for the Gulls, increasing their lead to four. Moore sprained his knee in an at-bat against the Schooners back on July 30, and made his return as designated hitter for Newport against Mystic on Wednesday going 2-for-4 at the plate. The College World Series champion out of UCLA hit a hard line drive at Mystic first baseman Nico Darras to bring home the fourth Gull of the night.
Steve Anderson picked up his second hit and RBI of the postseason on a single lined through first and second to bring home Donlin from third, giving Newport some run insurance and furthering their lead to five.
The Schooners would spoil the shutout in the top of the eighth inning when they strung together a double and back-to-back singles to bring home Brandon Cipolla on a Nico Darras single to bring the Fleet within four of the Gulls.
Mark McCoy, the Demon Deacon southpaw, picked up the win for Newport, his third of the summer.
McCoy pitched six shutout innings allowing only five hits, all of them singles, and two walks, while striking out six. McCoy, his pitch count well over 100, found relief in the top of the sixth when Robinson caught a fly ball in right and doubled up a Schooner baserunner for an inning-ending double play to complete his outing.
Tyler Ferguson, the right-handed hurler out of Vanderbilt, pitched two solid frames for the Flock allowing just one run and fanning four in relief of McCoy.
Kyle Wilcox, one of ten NECBL All-Stars for Newport, shut the door on the Schooners, picking up the final three outs for the Gulls to grab Game One of the Eastern Division Championship Series. It was Wilcox's second consecutive game finished, as he picked up the final three outs in Game Two versus the Sanford Mainers two nights earlier to solidify the Gulls first-round sweep on the road.
The Newport Gulls, which picked up their 10th straight win and their third straight post-season win with a 5-1 victory over the Schooners, will look to do it again on the road Thursday in Game Two.
The Gulls will travel to Fitch High School Field in Groton on Thursday night for Game Two of the best-of-three-series. Kurt Sowa (3-2, 3.04 ERA) will throw the first pitch at 6:05 p.m. facing off against Mick Van Vossen (3-0, 2.45 ERA), each right-hander making their first postseason start.
If Newport wins tomorrow night, the league's defending champs will move on to the NECBL Championship Series to face either Keene or Vermont at Cardines Field on Saturday night. With a loss against Mystic tomorrow, the Newport Gulls will return home to Cardines Field for a decisive Game Three to continue their season on Friday at 6:35 p.m.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from August 7, 2013
- Gulls Win Game One of DCS 5-1 over Schooners - Newport Gulls
- Swamp Bats Score Two In The 8th, Defeat Vermont In Game One, 4-2 - Keene Swamp Bats
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