By Bill Abramson
Standard-Times Contributing Writer    Updated Aug 2, 2016 at 10:30 PM 

NEW BEDFORD — Brandon Schlimm followed the script he wrote two weeks ago when he and closer Darrien Ragins shut out the Newport Gulls, 1-0. Only better.

The rising junior from St. Bonaventure kept the New Bedford Bay Sox's season alive, giving up five hits, no walks and striking out nine in 8 2/3 innings of a 1-0 victory over the Ocean State Waves.

The win in the play-in game for fourth place and the final playoff position was all Schlimm (4-3) as he threw 111 pitches, 84 for strikes and 27 balls.

Two line-drive singles after two were out in the ninth inning kept Schlimm from his first complete game of the summer, bringing on Ragins, who got pinch hitter Gian Martelli to hit a bouncer back to the mound for the final out. It was Ragins' eighth save of the season.

“I had three complete games at school, but I really wanted this one,” Schlimm said, calling the game the best he's ever pitched.

The one run in the game came in the third inning. Connor Hoover walked and Danny DiMare sacrificed him to second. Chandler Debrosse reached on an infield single to second base, putting runners on first and third.

T.J. Dixon grounded to second and Hoover scored.

“Brandon Schlimm gave us everything he had,” Bay Sox manager Kyle Fernandes said afterwards. “I can't say enough about his performance. He pitched with his heart and with his head. He delivered this win.”

Fernandes made a trip to the mound after a single by Austin Upshaw with two out in the ninth. After a meeting with the entire infield, he left Schlimm in to face Chris Hess, who singled to put the tying run on third.

Fernandes called on Ragins, who has been almost automatic this season with a 1-1 record, an 0.70 earned run average, allowing two earned runs in 26 innings.

“I wanted him (Schlimm) to finish it,” Fernandes said. “The first time I went out was to see how he was feeling. The second time, I had to do what's best for the team.”

The next best opportunity the Bay Sox had was in the seventh inning when Ted Shaw led off with a line single to right and Ryan Baldwin sacrificed him to second. Hoover flied to deep right, sending Shaw to third with two outs, but DiMare was called out on strikes.

In the fifth, Baldwin led off with a single and Hoover beat out a sacrifice bunt attempt putting runners on first and second with none out. DiMare fouled to the catcher and Nick Johnson relieved losing pitcher Ben Onyshko and struck out the next two batters.

Schlimm was so in control that he retired 10 straight batters from the second to the fifth inning when Matt Cogen lined a two-out single just over the pitcher's head. Catcher Andrew Penner threw out Cogen, trying to steal to end the fifth and Schlimm retired the next seven batters.

In the eighth, David Real reached on a passed ball on strike three with one out and Cogen was safe on an error. Schlimm settled down and got an infield pop up to short and a ground ball force out from short to second.

Looking ahead to the New England Collegiate Baseball League Southern Division semifinals, Fernandes hopes to use this formula tonight against the Mystic Schooners.

“We've got to score more runs and do all the small things better,” he said.

Having another dominating pitching performance would help.