Newport Gulls move on to NECBL semifinals
NEWPORT — A stunner on the opening night was followed by something more expected.
Newport restored order as the top seed in the New England Collegiate Baseball League quarterfinals, denying Ocean State what would have been a considerable upset.
Game 1 went to the Waves. Games 2 and 3 went to the Gulls in dominant fashion, the second of those coming on a perfect summer Wednesday night at Cardines Field.
Jake Hunter turned in seven brilliant innings and Billy Butler provided the critical swing at the plate. His three-run homer blew this one open for good, as Newport powered its way to a 7-1 victory and prevailed in this postseason edition of the Pell Bridge Series.
“Losing that first game was tough,” Butler said. “We just stuck together as a team. Obviously all the guys want to be here. We want to win it.”
Hunter dominated while picking up the victory on the mound, retiring the last 10 men he faced. The right-hander from East Carolina allowed just three hits, didn’t issue a walk and struck out 11 while earning the win. Former Middletown High and University of Rhode Island right-hander Ryan Andrade — who will transfer to Pittsburgh in the fall — covered the final six outs to close it out.
“We’re a good team,” Hunter said. “You’ve just got to go out there and compete every pitch. I think after Game 1 everyone was like, ‘All right, guys, this is our season.' "
Newport bashed five home runs in an 11-4 win at Old Mountain Field the previous night and saved a little thunder for the series finale. The Gulls held a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third when Butler changed the tone on a 1-and-0 pitch in his wheelhouse. The former standout at Ponaganset Regional and with the Rams launched a drive to right-center, clearing the tall, chain-link fence above the 348-foot mark.
“Just saw it middle of the zone and hit it the other way,” Butler said. “I take a lot of pride in that.”
Hunter’s only run allowed came on David Mershon’s infield grounder in the top of the third. He induced a 3-6-3 double play to end the top of the fourth and blew Ocean State away from there. Hunter picked up six of his strikeouts in his final three frames, including the side in the top of the seventh, and outdueled college teammate Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman.
“It was kind of like a fall scrimmage,” Hunter said. “We were hanging out together before the game — he's one of my closest friends at school. We’re competitors — once you get going, you don’t worry about it.”
Butler’s round-tripper came with two outs. That was typical of Newport’s stubbornness on this night. The Gulls were 6-for-11 with two walks and six RBI over the first five innings after two men were retired. Newport didn’t make successive second and third outs in an inning until the bottom of the sixth.
“I think all year that’s been the report for our whole team one through nine,” Butler said. “We kind of battle. You don’t want to face any of our guys.”
The Waves opened the series with a 5-4 surprise on Monday in Game 1. Ocean State missed a chance at a sweep the following night and finished 3-6 against the Gulls on the season. Newport will open its best-of-three semifinal against Danbury at home Thursday night with another 6:35 p.m. first pitch.
Ocean State 001 000 000 — 1 5 1
Newport 113 100 10x — 7 10 0
Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman, Nolan Hughes (5), Alex Logusch (7) and Jackson Phinney. Jake Hunter, Ryan Andrade (8) and Jacob Burley. HR — Billy Butler (N).
On Twitter: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Newport avoids upset in quarterfinals of the Collegiate Baseball League playoffs
