BRISTOL, CT. - Newport came into Sunday’s game fresh, following an off day, and hoped to snag the limelight on the road in the NECBL's Game of the Day. However, they had to do it vs. the hot Bristol Blues, who came into Sunday's game in 1st place of the Southern Division at 3-1.

The first inning was quick as Bristol's James Pazdera and Newport's Tristan Bristow (Vanderbilt) faced the minimum. Newport put the pressure on Pazdera following a pair of walks that put runners on first and second with one away in the 2nd. Newport flew out twice, and hard hit outs were a recurring theme for the Gulls.

Randy Seymour (Michigan State) had a great game at the dish and got his first hit by piecing one into deep left-center field for a stand-up double in the 3rd. The Gulls could not do anything from Seymour's double but gave fans a taste of what would come in the next few innings. Bristow worked through his 3rd inning, bouncing back from a Seymour error and an overturned call on a ground ball in foul territory that ultimately led to a pop-out. Bristow's day was finished seeing 10 hitters and had Bristol feeling the Blues.

In the fourth, Newport utilized three straight hits to plate their first two runners, thanks to a Josh Castellani (Clemson) single to make a statement in his debut. He scored Dre Lewis (Manhattan) and Will Fosberg (Northeastern), who was also playing in his first official game. 

Just as fast as Newport got out ahead of the Blues, Bristol battled back and succeeded against Blake Julius (Oklahoma State), who replaced Bristow in the fourth. Luke Nomura and Jack Hopko moved station-to-station in the fourth to kick off Julius's rocky outing. Thomas Ahlers then knocked in run number one for the Blues, and then a sacrifice lineout by Gianno Merlonghi scored Hopko, and the game was tied at two after four.

Seymour continued his impressive day vs. relief pitcher Nick Kane with a one-out single and was pushed over to third from a rip by Michael Gupton (Samford), the first hit of the season by the First Team All-SoCon selection. Soon after, a fastball got away from Kane and towards the backstop, prompting a light jog home from the shortstop and an advancement by Gupton into scoring position, giving the Gulls a 3-2 lead. Kane settled back in and struck out Petey Craska (North Alabama) and Dre Lewis to go into the bottom of the 5th down 1.

The Blues were like a trampoline all night, showing their ability to bounce back against anything Newport threw their way. Bristol had Julius's number, 9-hole man Yeudy Ramirez and leadoff hitter Mika Peterson hit back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with one out. A Luke Nomura fly out to right field advanced the speedy Ramirez from second to third with two gone. Peterson stole the second, forcing a throw from backstop Will Fosberg, but it was not in time. The throw-down gave Ramirez all the time needed to score from third, and just like that, it was a tie ballgame in the 5th.

Innings six through nine were not kind to the Gulls offensively. A triad of Blues hurlers held Newport to 1-for-12 over the last few innings, with the only hit being another Randy Seymour two-bagger that Newport could not capitalize on. The game slipped out of Newport's hands when Blake Julius surrendered a double to right field in the 6th, which put two runners in scoring position with one out. Logan Olson (Penn State) replaced Julius, and the first pitch Olson delivered was ripped into left field by Kevin Milewski, which plated both runners and put Bristol up for good.

Newport had five batters between the 6th and 7th inning hit rips into the field of play but none that dropped as each ball found the mitt of a Bristol fielder and Newport’s efforts came up short offensively.

Bristol's Devin Wolff set up 2024 NECBL All-Star closer Carson Renner for a lockdown ninth, only allowing a walk in the final frame. Olson kept the game in reach for the Gulls, but the bats struggled to stay hot, and Newport dropped their second road contest of the season, 5-3. 

The loss at Muzzy Field drops Newport to 2-2, and the Gulls look to get back above .500 this week. They take on the Valley Blue Sox on Monday night at Cardines Field at 6:35 p.m. Newport hosts three of the next four matchups, including two home games against Valley and a date with in-state rival Ocean State on Wednesday, June 11th. You can stream all home games on ESPN+.