Newport, R.I. – The Newport Gulls picked up their league-leading 31st win of the season after a 7-3 victory against the Ocean State Waves on Friday night at Cardines Field.

Box Score

Both teams wasted no time jumping on the board in the first inning. Ocean State scored first on a Drew Holderbach RBI groundout which scored Alex Ramirez. The lead for the Waves, however, would not last long.

In the bottom of the inning, the Gulls responded with three quick runs. Luke Beckstein (Northeastern University) reached on a hit by pitch to lead off the inning. The next batter, Michael Anderson (University of Rhode Island) singled and Tyler Hare (Georgia Tech University) also singled to load the bases with no outs. During the next at bat, Beckstein came around to score on a wild pitch. With two outs in the inning, Niko Brini (University of Connecticut) singled to score both Anderson and Hare to make it 3-1, Gulls after one inning of play.

In the fourth inning, the Waves got one run back on an Austin Denlinger RBI single that scored Parker Rowland to bring Ocean State within one run, 3-2.

In the bottom of the inning, the Gulls tacked on another run on an Anderson RBI single, scoring Jacob Burley (Wake Forest University) on the play. After four innings of play, the Gulls had a 4-2 over the Waves. 

A couple innings later, the Gulls scored another on a sacrifice fly by Beckstein to score Kolby Branch (University of Georgia) who reached base on a walk. He then stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error which allowed him to score on the sacrifice fly. The Gulls added more insurance to make it 5-2 over the Waves.

The Gulls added a couple more runs in the eighth to put the final nail in the coffin. Hare drove in a pair with a two-run double 7-2, Gulls after eight innings.

Ocean State would scratch across a run in the ninth but that would be all they would get. Newport would hold on for their 31st win of the season and will go for an NECBL record, 32 wins tomorrow against the North Shore Navigators.

Kevin Seitter (Quinnipiac University) started the game for the Gulls and went two innings, striking out three and allowed one run. Nolan Pender (Bellarmine University) earned the win in relief, pitching four innings and allowing one run. Ryan Andrade (University of Rhode Island) was the third pitcher used and he tossed two scoreless innings. Braden Ostrander (Florida Atlantic University) shut the door in the ninth.

Newport will be on the road Saturday July 29th in Lynn, Massachusetts to take on the North Shore Navigators at Fraser Field. First pitch for the game is scheduled for 7:05. All games are broadcasted live on the NECBL Broadcast Network.