New Extra Inning Rule Adds Drama as Bay Sox Drop Home Opener 3-1 to Gulls

June 8, 2019 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
New Bedford Bay Sox News Release


The New Bedford Bay Sox kicked off their 2019 home season by ushering in the newest rule change in the NECBL, as they bowed out to the Newport Gulls 3-1 in 11 innings.

After ending the first nine innings tied at 1-1, the 10th and 11th innings began with a runner on second base for each squad. Both Newport and New Bedford (0-3) squandered those chances in the 10th, but the visitors struck for two runs in the 11th and held on for their first win of the season (1-2).

New addition Joshua Eastman (Southern NH) was the unlucky loser for the Bay Sox, as he allowed two runs (one unearned) in the 11th after pitching a clean ninth and tenth innings in relief. Eastman gave up an unearned run - the runner on second to start the inning is not his responsibility - on a single by Brett Vosik in the 11th, and Newport added an insurance run on another single by star catcher Colton Bender off of New Bedford reliever Kyle Johnson (Holy Cross).

The Bay Sox left two runners aboard in the 11th, and had the bases loaded in the tenth, as both Josh Goldstein (Southern NH) and Rafe Chaumette (Trinity) were intentionally walked to join Thomas Blandini (Southern NH) on base with one out. Zachary Buck (Holy Cross) fouled out to Bender, who made a spectacular diving catch near the Bay Sox' batter's box, and Sam Henrie (Southern NH) struck out to end the golden opportunity to walk it off.

The Gulls also had a great chance in the tenth, but a stellar defensive play at third base by Bryan Hart (Bryant) resulted in an inning-ending double play. Hart had an up and down night in the field, committing two errors which proved very costly, but he did collect two hits and scored the only Bay Sox run.

The story of the first third of the game was more squandered opportunities to score by both squads. Each team had base runners in the first three frames, with Bay Sox starter Mike White (Stonehill) stranding Gulls on second base in three straight innings. New Bedford collected five hits in the first three innings, but left three ducks on the pond and had three runners thrown out by Bender. Bender potentially saved a crooked number on the scoreboard in the third inning, as Blandini led off with a double but was thrown out at third after a ball in the dirt, and Goldstein was nabbed trying to steal second base after a one-out walk.

After accumulating two more hits without scoring in the bottom of the fourth, the Bay Sox scratched a run across the plate in the fifth to take a 1-0 lead. Hart led off the frame with a single, and advanced to second base on a sac bunt from Michael Goodrich (Trinity). Blandini grounded a ball to second, and Newport 2B Scott Holzwasser uncorked a wild throw to first base, resulting in an infield hit - Blandini's third of the evening - and allowed Hart to cross the plate for New Bedford's first run.

Matthew Stansky (Bryant) was first out of the bullpen for the Bay Sox in the sixth inning, and he received two terrific defensive gems to toss a scoreless frame, as Chaumette made a diving catch in center field on a blooper from Hudson Haskin, and Blandini flashed his glove on a tough grounder to short to keep the Gulls off the board.

Newport plated their first run of the game in the seventh inning off of Stansky, as a one-out error by Hart at third proved costly. With Bender reaching on the two-base error and moving to third on a wild pitch, a hot shot to Hart went off his glove, allowing the Gulls' catcher to tie the game at 1-1.

Henry Ennen (Northeastern) pitched an adventurous eighth inning, as he walked two batters but left them on base, as he sent three Gulls packing with strikeouts looking, including a nine-pitch K of Zaid Walker to strand two runners and keep the game tied. Eastman and Johnson concluded the game on the hill for New Bedford, as both were a part of the first extra-inning game with the new NECBL rules.

The Bay Sox will look to shake off this loss with a quick turnaround, as they host the Valley Blue Sox (2-1) at 6:30pm on Sunday evening at Paul Walsh Field.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 8, 2019


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central