Gulls Win Sixth Straight, Shut Down Danbury 5-1

June 19, 2015 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Newport Gulls News Release


NEWPORT, R.I. - Over the first quarter of the season, the Newport Gulls have won games the same way: great pitching and timely hitting. The Gulls (8-2) won their sixth game in a row playing the same way, shutting down the Danbury Westerners 5-1.

Manager Mike Coombs said that he and his team try not to focus on the records of their opponents, since their last matchup was very close.

"You don't harp on that," Coombs said. "They know that it's the game of baseball and any time they could come out of there and (win)."

The Westerners (0-10) came to play to start, taking an early lead on the streaking Gulls. Danbury loaded the bases with one out in the second, leading to an RBI hit by pitch drawn by Patrick Wright to drive in Zach Burger for a 1-0 lead.

The Gulls responded with a run-scoring HBP in the bottom of the third inning courtesy of Max Beermann to knot the game up at a run apiece.

After tying the score, Newport seized control of the game, scoring a run in each of the next two innings, then plating two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to go up 5-0. The biggest play from that stretch came off the bat of Drew Lugbauer as he hit his first home run of the season over the left-field wall.

Lugbauer said that he's feeling good at the plate early in the season.

"I feel great," Lugbauer said. "I'm just seeing the ball well. I've been working with coach (Al) Leyva on some stuff before the games and that really helps."

Once the Gulls secured a lead, the pitching staff went back to shutting down its adversaries as they have all season, allowing three hits after the second inning.

Coombs said his pitchers have followed a similar pattern, throwing strikes and missing bats.

"(Pitchers are) filling up the strike zone, pounding the zone, making them swing the bat and put the ball in play," Coombs said. "That's been good."

The Gulls have had a habit of scoring runs late in games, and Coombs said that, as long as you score, it doesn't matter when.

"You can preach it, you can say what you want to say, but it's what it is," Coombs said. "You can tell them to focus a little more... That's why you play nine innings, I guess."

The Gulls will travel to Old Mountain Field Saturday to play the Ocean State Waves in Game Two of the six-game, season-long Pell Bridge Series. Rob Masse and Tim Scott will have the call of the game on the NECBL Broadcast Network, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

For more information about the Newport Gulls, visit facebook.com/newportgulls, follow the Gulls on Twitter @NewportGulls or visit www.newportgulls.com.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 19, 2015


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