Baseball / GULLS TOP BLUE SOX IN NEWPORT ON WALK-OFF DOUBLE

GULLS TOP BLUE SOX IN NEWPORT ON WALK-OFF DOUBLE

Date:  Source: NECBL: Valley Blue Sox

By: Dan Bahl
 
The Valley Blue Sox concluded their three-game, two-day road trip with a game at Cardines Field against the Newport Gulls on Wednesday. The teams put up 15 runs on 19 hits between them in a back-and-forth battle, but the Blue Sox ultimately lost the game by an 8-7 margin.
 
The Gulls got the scoring started in the bottom half of the first inning. Newport posted five runs on five hits, and sent all nine batters to the plate. Starter Tommy Costello would induce a popout to first baseman Rich Constantine, ending the threat.
 
The Blue Sox would respond in the top half of the second inning, sending 12 batters of their own to the dish. Nate Monastra, Travis Holt and Collin Mathews all reached base to load the bases, and a fielding error by the Gulls would chase two runs home.
 
After Joe Lomuscio was hit by a pitch to re-load the bases, Carter Williams would smash the first pitch of his at-bat over the wall in right-center field for a grand slam. For Williams, it was his first home run as a member of the Blue Sox. The four runs that scored gave the Blue Sox the lead.
 
The Gulls tied the score at six in the 3rdinning, and took the lead in the 5th. The Blue Sox responded in the top of the sixth to re-tie the score. Lomuscio, Constantine and Griffin Lockwood-Powell all reached base, and Travis Holt was hit by a pitch, forcing in a run to tie the score. 
 
The Blue Sox and Gulls would battle with the score tied until the bottom of the 9th, when the Gulls walked off with the win on a run-scoring double.
 
In the game, Tommy Costello went five strong innings on the bump. After a rough start, Costello settled down, giving up just three hits and two runs over his final four innings of work. 
 
Noah Bleakley made his Blue Sox debut, giving up a leadoff double but recording the next two outs. Hunter Waldis tossed three lights out innings to finish up the game. Waldis gave up just a single hit and a single run, walking two and striking out five.
 
Offensively, Carter Williams led the way with his grand slam. He went 2-4, reaching base three times on the night. Griffin Lockwood-Powell went 1-3, but reached base four times. With his first inning single, Lockwood-Powell extended his hitting streak to eight games.
 
The Blue Sox return to Mackenzie Stadium for a doubleheader with the Ocean State Waves on Thursday. The first game of the twin bill is scheduled for 4:00 PM.