Newport Gulls Ride Offensive Wave to Win over Ocean State

June 20, 2013 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Newport Gulls News Release


Newport, RI - The Newport Gulls pick up their fifth win of the season, defeating in-state NECBL expansion franchise, the Ocean State Waves, 9-2 in the first ever meeting between the two teams at Cardines Field on Wednesday, June 19.

Newport starting pitcher Brett Graves delivered six solid innings on the mound, allowing just one run on four hits, while issuing just one walk and striking out six. Graves picked up the victory to improve to 1-0 overall this season.

The game remained scoreless in the early stages until the Gulls offense finally broke the stalemate with five runs, all of them coming with two outs, in the third inning. After back-to-back singles by second baseman Shea Donlin and outfielder Cody Jones, shortstop Trace Tam Sing reached on a fielders choice, setting the table for outfielder Ben Roberts, who delivered a two-out RBI double, scoring Jones from second. Outfielder Timmy Robinson was hit by a pitch to load the bases and first baseman Steve Anderson was also plunked by Ocean State starter Jimmy Duff, bringing home another run. The ensuing batter, third baseman Joel McKeithan reached on a single, scoring one run, but the throw to first got away, allowing two more runs to score before McKeithan was caught in a rundown and tagged out to end the inning.

Duff took the loss for the Waves falling to 0-1 overall this season after lasting just three and two thirds innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits with one walk and a pair of strikeouts.

Newport tacked on another run in the fifth inning when Roberts led off the inning with a single, advancing to second on a throwing error before coming around to score when the ensuing batter, Robinson, doubled home a run, smashing a ball off the wall in left field.

However, the Waves would not leave quietly as they looked to pose a rally in the late innings. Trailing 6-0, Ocean State broke up the shutout in the sixth inning and then mounted a rally against Gulls reliever Joe Iorio. Iorio found himself in a jam with runners at the corners and one out in the eighth inning. He escaped the jam, allowing just one run, getting former 2012 Newport Gull catcher Nick Sebastian to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Newport would answer in the bottom of the inning as the bats came alive to add three more runs to their lead. Catcher Ethan Ferreira lined a pitch down the left field line for a double. Ferreira would then advance into scoring position further on a wild pitch from Waves right-handed reliever John Tangherlini. Both Ferreira and designated hitter David Graybill would score on an RBI single from Donlin, who finished the night 4-for-4 with an RBI at the plate. Jones would follow suit with a frozen rope to right putting runners at the corners and Graybill would cross home plate on another wild pitch from Tangherlini to close out the scoring in a dominant 9-2 victory for the Gulls.

After picking up just their second win at home, the Newport Gulls improve to 5-3 overall, while the Ocean State Waves drop to 2-6 overall this season.

The Gulls will be on the road tomorrow at Holyoke as they take on the Blue Sox at Mackenzie Stadium. Brett Lilek (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will get the start for Newport, while Holyoke sends Jordan Hillyer (1-0, 1.32 ERA) to face the Gulls for the second time this summer.

Since moving to Newport in 2001, the Gulls have captured the New England Collegiate Baseball League championship, the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup, an NECBL-record five times, and in 2012 were named the No. 1 summer collegiate team in the country by Perfect Game USA in Perfect Game's Top 50 final rankings, capping a record-breaking season by Newport and marking the first time ever that an NECBL franchise has been ranked No. 1 nationally.

The Gulls, which attract more than 50,000 fans annually to historic Cardines Field in Newport, recruit players from the top college baseball programs in the country, and to date have sent six alumni to Major League Baseball teams, and over 150 players to professional baseball teams ranging from Independent leagues to Triple-A.



New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from June 20, 2013


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