Gulls Deliver With Best Performance of Season to Begin August
Gulls Deliver With Best Performance of Season to Begin August
Zach Letson -- Team Publicist
Everything went right for Newport (22-19) in its 10 to 1 victory at the Shark Tank over the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks (24-17-1) Sunday night.
One week to the day after dominating the Sharks, it was deja vu all over again for Justin Cherry. The Gulls starting pitcher dazzled with six innings of one-run ball, striking out seven, and picking up his third win of the season.
Cherry didn’t have to worry about his team behind him finding offense. Spenser Smith got the Gulls on the board right away in the top of the first with a bases-loaded, two-RBI single to give the Gulls a lead they would never relinquish.
After Vineyard cut the lead to one, Matt Wood made sure it didn’t get any closer. The catcher connected on a two-run shot in the third, and a solo homer in the fourth, becoming the second Gull this season with a multi-home run game, joining Justin Guerrera.
The cherry on top offensively came in the sixth. Newport brought four more runs home highlighted by another timely hit from Smith that scored two. The shortstop shined again against the Sharks with a three hit, four-RBI performance.
Daniel Colwell took the baton from Cherry to begin the 7th and continued the dominant night by Gulls arms. The UCLA Bruin mowed through his first inning of work, striking out the side by throwing a ridiculous 15 of the 17 pitches in the inning for strikes. After the early first inning run, the Newport pitching staff shutout the first-place Sharks for the rest of the game.
The win forces a make-up game with the Danbury Westerners (22-19) tomorrow at Rogers Park, necessary to determine seeding in the NECBL playoffs. A Newport win would clinch home field for Tuesday’s single elimination game. The Gulls can finish anywhere from third to fifth within the final Southern Division standings.
