Gulls Leave Shark Tank With 4-1 Victory

After a dominant showing against the Valley Blue Sox on Sunday, the Newport Gulls faced a far greater challenge Monday night as they traveled east to face the rival Martha's Vineyard Sharks for the fourth time this season. Behind strong pitching and timely hitting, Newport claimed a 4-1 victory for their second consecutive win to open the week.

The Gulls' bats got to work early, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Caeden Cloud (Kentucky) delivered an RBI single. Newport doubled its advantage an inning later as Ernie Echavarria (Penn) lined a run-scoring shot into the left-center gap.

On the mound, starter Will Taylor (Notre Dame) continued to cement his status as one of the premier arms in the entire New England Collegiate Baseball League. The southpaw set the tone by retiring the first nine Sharks in order before finishing with four innings of one-run ball, scattering just two hits while striking-out four.

With the score knotted at 2-1, Cloud stayed hot at the plate, crushing a two-run blast in the fifth inning to give Newport a comfortable three-run cushion. The multi-RBI performance continues to put the Kentucky product's run as one of the league's most dangerous bats.

 Zane Stahl (Louisville) was the first arm out of the bullpen—and the only one the Gulls needed. After escaping a bases-loaded jam in his first inning of work, the right-hander shut the door the rest of the way, recording the final 15 outs on just 62 pitches to seal the victory.

The victory pulls Newport to within four games of the first-place Sharks with 14 contests remaining on the schedule. The Gulls look to carry the momentum tonight as they wrap up their three-game road trip against the Ocean State Waves. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. and can be streamed live on NECBL+.