Gulls Drop Extra Inning Thriller to Sharks

            The Newport Gulls hosted the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks on Wednesday night, in what became an instant classic. The Gulls entered the night at 18-12-1, the #3 seed in the Southern Division, as they faced the front-runner Sharks sitting at 23-7. 

            The Sharks came out swinging against Newport starter Will Coleman (Kentucky). Griffin Crain, a Rhode Island native, led off the contest with a quick single. He would advance to third on a Nick Rubino single, and would later score on a Will Hampton sacrifice fly. 

            Scoring would resume in the top half of the 3rd when Austin Pierzynski lined a double down the left field line, scoring Will Hampton and Nick Rubino. Coleman’s day would end after the inning, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits, while striking out two batters.

            The Gulls offense had trouble with the Sharks starting arm. Ryan Gold would go 6.0 innings, striking out 11 batters, and only allowing one run to cross the plate. That run would come in the 4th inning, when Tristan Salinas (Rutgers) knocked a bloop single into center field, scoring Colby Wallace (Eastern Carolina).

            Mickey McClaskey (Gonzaga), our Southcoast Health Player of the Game, dominated the middle innings out of the bullpen. The junior right-hander went 5.0 innings, striking out 6, and allowing no runs to cross.

            The Gulls received the break they needed, when Gold left the game in the 7th. After a quick two outs to start the seventh, Caeden Cloud (Kentucky) would draw a walk and Braxton Tramel (East Carolina) would be hit by a pitch, giving Newport RBI opportunities. Colby Wallace executed to perfection, ripping a high fly ball off of the right-centerfield fence, which hung enough to score both runners, and give him a game-tying triple. Ryan Jaros (Rutgers) later would stroke a single to give Newport the lead.

            Down to their final strike in the 9th, Vineyard first baseman Nick Rubino kept the game alive, lining a double into the right field corner. In yet another 2-strike count, Will Hampton duplicated Rubino’s hit, lining a game-tying double down the right field line. John Mass (FAU) would limit the damage, and keep the game tied going into the bottom of the 9th.

            Newport started the home half of the 9th with a Cloud double, leaving the winning run only 180 feet away. A Braxton Tramel lineout, followed by a Ryan Novak (Miami OH) flyout, and Ryan Jaros strikeout kept the game knotted after 9, forcing extra innings.

            Martha’s Vineyard started with a ghost runner on 2nd base to start the 10th, in Jack Kamin. He would advance to third on a Will Bavaro bunt, and shortly after, give the Sharks the lead with an Austin Pierzynski sacrifice fly.

            Trailing one run in the home half of the 10th, Tristan Salinas failed to lay down a bunt, and back to back strikeouts from Brandon Larson (USC) and Ernie Echeivarria (UPenn), would give the Sharks their 24th win of the season.

            Newport’s loss, being their 4th in their last 6 games, brings them to 18-13-1, as the Sharks keep rolling in first place with an impressive 24-7 record. Newport goes on the road Thursday to face Bristol, as Vineyard will enjoy an off day, before heading back to the island to face Ocean State on Friday.