Newport Gulls Blast Sanford 15-2 on the Road
Published on July 15, 2012 under New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Newport Gulls News Release
NEWPORT, R.I. - The Newport Gulls offense exploded for six runs in the second inning off Sanford starter Nate Jones and never looked back, defeating the Sanford Mainers 15-2 on the road at Goodall Park on Saturday, July 14.
Outfielder Yale Rosen served as the Gulls offensive catalyst going 3-for-3 with three walks and four runs scored as the Gulls racked up 15 runs on 18 hits in the victory. Every Gull in the starting lineup recorded a hit, with six starters turning in multi-hit efforts.
Newport improves to 22-6 overall this season with the victory, while Sanford falls to 9-16 overall with the loss. Newport improved to 4-0 against Sanford this season and maintained their three and a half game lead over the New Bedford Bay Sox in the Eastern Division.
Newport starter Michael Johnson (1-0) went five innings to pick up the win in his first start of the season. Johnson escaped a bases loaded jam in the fifth inning and gave up just two runs, a pair of solo home runs, to earn the win. Johnson surrendered just four hits and three walks with four strikeouts in his five innings of work.
Brett Graves tossed a pair of scoreless innings, striking out three batters in relief and David Schmidt pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings to close out the win for Newport.
Jones, making his first appearance for Sanford since June 15, lasted four innings, but was pounded for 10 runs, all earned, on nine hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Jones took the loss, falling to 0-3 overall this season. Jones did not record an out in the fifth inning and exited with the bases loaded, giving way to reliever Evan Chamberlain.
Sanford jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a solo home run by outfielder Jordan Hagel, his third home run of the season, in the bottom of the first inning, but the Gulls responded quickly in the second inning.
Rosen, the reigning NECBL Player of the Week, led off the inning with an infield single before first baseman Steve Anderson singled to right field and shortstop Joel McKeithan followed with an RBI double, his fourth double and 10th RBI of the season. McKeithan finished the night 3-for-3 with three RBI, three runs scored and a pair of walks.
Shortstop Blake Butera and outfielder John Norwood picked up their sixth and 12th RBI's of the season respectively on back-to-back RBI singles before the pair manufactured another run on a double steal later in the inning to widen the Gulls lead to 4-1.
Newport catcher Jeff Melillo smacked an RBI double, his 10th double and 22nd RBI of the season, before outfielder Kasey Coffman followed with an RBI double of his own, his seventh double and 26th RBI of the summer, to close out a six-run inning and give Newport a 6-1 lead.
The Mainers offense was kept off the board until third baseman Jordan Betts became Sanford's all-time single season home run record holder with a solo home run, his eighth of the season, in the fourth inning to trim the deficit to 7-2, but that was as close as they would get. Sanford had a chance to battle back against Johnson in the fifth inning, but Hagel flew out to shallow center to end the threat.
Newport added three runs in the fifth on bases loaded hits by second baseman Conor Keniry, his 13th RBI of the season and outfielder Charlie White, his first RBI of the season. Norwood was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, picking up his second RBI of the game, to extend the Gulls lead to 10-2.
The Gulls were kept off the board in the seventh inning after White doubled with two out and Hagel gunned down White at the plate after Melillo followed with a single back up the middle.
Newport's relentless offense continued to produce in the late innings, tacking on two runs in the eighth inning when Anderson ripped an RBI double into the gap in right centerfield scoring Rosen, who walked earlier in the inning. Keniry added an RBI double down the left field line, his seventh double and 14th RBI of the season to make it 12-2. The Gulls scored three times in the ninth inning to close out the 15-2 win.
The Gulls will be back in action taking on the Keene Swamp Bats at home on Monday, July 16. Jon Prosinski (1-0, 6.55 ERA) will be on the mound making his fourth start of the season for Newport.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 15, 2012
- Eight-Run Sixth Launches 'Cats to 11-3 Victory over Blue Sox - North Adams SteepleCats
- Kelly's Record Breaking Performance Leads Mountaineers to Win - Vermont Mountaineers
- Matt Longfield Named NECBL Pitcher of the Week - North Adams SteepleCats
- Laconia's Collins, N. Adams' Longfield Win NECBL Players of Week - NECBL
- Mainers Fall to Newport - Sanford Mainers
- Newport Gulls Blast Sanford 15-2 on the Road - Newport Gulls
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