Waves roll past Gulls in Game One, 6-5
August 3, 2015 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Ocean State Waves News Release
NEWPORT, R.I. -Coming into Monday's postseason showdown against the Gulls seeking revenge for the 2014 postseason, the Ocean State Waves needed a big performance to make some noise against their interstate rivals. Backed by two home runs in the eighth inning, the Waves edged out the Gulls in a big Game One victory at Cardines Field, 6-5.
Ocean State's lefty starter Tyler Wilson (Rhode Island) got the ball in Game One for the Waves, but Newport scored first courtesy of single by Quinn Brodey (Stanford) that drove home Joven Afenir (Kansas) for the first run of the game.Â
Michael Mertz (Oklahoma State) started on the mound for Newport. The Waves evened up the score against the Gulls in the bottom of the third inning as Alex King (Saint Louis) led off with a single through the left side. He moved to second on a bunt by Nick Dawson (Southern Mississippi), scoring on a single by Jake Palomaki (Boston College) to even up the score at one apiece.
The Gulls took the lead back against Wilson in the top of the fourth. Afenir was driven in again on another hit by Brodey to take the lead 2-1. However, the Waves were not down for long as Buck McCarthy (Bryant) drove home Chuckie Robinson (Southern Mississippi) and Tim Lynch (Southern Mississippi) on a two-run single to left that enabled the Waves to take a 3-2 lead.
The Gulls battled back in the bottom of the fifth when a single from Drew Lugbauer (Michigan) drove in Liam Sabino (Vanderbilt) to tie up the ballgame at 3-3.
Wilson retired the side in order in the bottom of the sixth, retiring four of the last five batters he faced. Wilson's nine strikeouts against the Gulls were the most by any Waves starting pitcher in a start this summer.
Richard Lovelady (Kennesaw State) replaced Wilson in the top of the seventh. Newport took the lead against Lovelady in the bottom of the seventh inning. Sabino led the inning off with a walk, moving to third on a hit-and-run single by Afenir. Sabino scored on a ground ball single by Reed Gamache (Binghamton) to take the 4-3 lead.Â
The newfound deficit did not hinder the Waves as Lynch blasted a two-run home run over the right field fence. His first homer since July 14 put the Waves ahead, 5-4. Two batters later, AJ Ramirez (Southern California) launched his third home run of the summer over the center field fence to give Ocean State a necessary insurance run, 6-4.
The bats really came out tonight for both teams; in the bottom of the eighth Jon Littell (Oklahoma State) hit a solo home run of his own to bring the Gulls back 6-5. This was the last time the Gulls would score however, as Lovelady kept the Gulls at bay, propelling the Waves to their second postseason victory in franchise history.
Notable offensive performances for the Waves came from Palomaki (1-2, three walks), Lynch (2-5, double, homer, 2 RBI), and McCarthy (1-2, 2 RBI).
The Waves and Gulls return to action on Tuesday with a Game Two showdown at Old Mountain Field. If the Waves emerge victorious, they would advance to the NECBL Southern Division Finals for the first time in franchise history. Tony Dibrell (Kennesaw State) makes his eighth start of the summer for the Waves at home, while the Gulls counter with Quinn Brodey (Stanford). Tune in online as Tim Scott, Rob Masse, and Matt Tonis bring you the call on the NECBL Broadcast Network. First pitch is set for 6:05 in Wakefield.
• Discuss this story on the New England Collegiate Baseball League message board...
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from August 3, 2015
- Waves roll past Gulls in Game One, 6-5 - Ocean State Waves
- Gulls Drop Game One to Waves 6-5, Game Two Tuesday in Wakefield, R.I. - Newport Gulls
- Copeland Named to NECBL Weekly Honor Roll - Vermont Mountaineers
- Mountaineers Wallop Laconia in Playoff Opener - Vermont Mountaineers
- NECBL Weekly Roundup - NECBL
- Iannotti, Ruppenthal Are Final Weekly Winners of 2015 - NECBL
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.
