Pete Masters collected three hits, sparking the Nine (1-0) to a 4-3 victory over the Newport (0-1) on Friday at Cardines Field.

The Nine relied on Andrew Smiley to eat up innings en route to the win. Smiley pitched nine innings and allowed one earned run, eight hits and two walks while striking out five.

CJ Silva handled the Nine's lineup with ease, racking up 12 strikeouts. Silva allowed two earned runs on 11 hits and four walks over eight innings.

Silva ended up on the wrong side of the pitching decision, charged with his first loss of the year.