Newport Gulls One Win Away from Fifth NECBL Title
August 10, 2012 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Newport Gulls News Release
NEWPORT, R.I. - The Newport Gulls are one win away from their fifth NECBL title after a 9-2 victory over the Danbury Westerners in Game One of the New England Collegiate Baseball League Championship Series at Cardines Field on Thursday, August 9.
Daniel Wright pitched a complete game three-hitter, allowing just two runs while matching a season-high with 11 strikeouts. Wright, the NECBL Eastern Division All-Star Game starting pitcher, fell behind early after giving up a run on a two-out single to Danbury second baseman Jake Gronsky in the top of the first inning, but a solo home run by catcher Jeff Melillo, his first longball of the postseason, tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the frame.
Wright, a junior right-hander from Arkansas State, dominated the Westerners lineup over the remainder of the contest, settling down after a rocky first inning in which he struggled with his command by retiring the next 16 batters he faced. Wright did not allow a base runner until Danbury outfielder Ander Garner led off the seventh inning with a single.
Newport takes a 1-0 lead in the best of three games series and need just one more win in the next two games of the series to take home their first Fay Vincent Sr. Cup since 2009. The Gulls can eliminate the Westerners and claim the NECBL title with a win on the road in Game Two at Rogers Park in Danbury on Friday, August 10. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
The Gulls will send Peter Kelich (2-1, 2.20 ERA) to the mound for Game Two. The junior right-hander from in-state Bryant University struck out 10 Sanford Mainers over six shutout innings in a decisive Game Three win for Newport in the NECBL Eastern Division Semi-Finals on August 5, his only start of the post season.
Facing elimination, Danbury will counter with right-hander Stephen Catalina (4-3, 3.16 ERA). Catalina earned a no-decision in his only start of the post season, allowing five runs on five hits in just three and two third against the North Adams SteepleCats in the NECBL Western Division Semi-Finals on August 5.
The Gulls offense came through in the clutch to support Wright in the middle innings, as at pair of key two-run double by third baseman Austin Slater and second baseman Conor Keniry in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, gave the Gulls a 5-1 lead after five innings.
Newport racked up nine runs on 15 hits in the contest, as every Gull in the starting lineup with the exception of shortstop Joel McKeithan, who walked twice and scored a run, had a hit. Outfielder Kasey Coffman served as the offensive catalyst for the Gulls going 4-for-5 with a double and a pair of runs scored.
Danbury chipped away at the lead late, plating a run in the eighth inning on a sharply hit groundball to second by outfielder Daniel Spingola with two outs took a high hop and skipped over Keniry's head into the outfield allowing Gronsky to score from second base, but that was all the Westerners would get in the late innings.
Danbury starter Brett Houseal took the loss after allowing seven runs, all earned, on 12 hits with five walks and four strikeouts. Reliever G.C. Yerry finished off the final two and two thirds for Danbury allowing two runs, both earned, on three hits with a walk and zero strikeouts.
If necessary, the Gulls will face the Westerners in Game Three at Cardines Field on Saturday, August 11. First pitch would be at 6:35 p.m.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from August 10, 2012
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- Newport Gulls One Win Away from Fifth NECBL Title - Newport Gulls
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