Zach Letson – Broadcaster and Team Publicist
For a third consecutive time, the game would be decided by a single run. And for a third straight time, Newport (3-1) emerged victorious, extending its winning streak to three with a 2-1 victory over Ocean State (2-3) Saturday night at Old Mountain Field.
Dominic Perachi got the ball and was masterful, delivering the best performance by a Gulls pitcher so far in the young season. The nearby Salve Regina began his outing with three consecutive strikeouts, and notched six scoreless innings, striking out 11 Waves hitters while yielding just three hits.
That set the tone for the night of dominance from Newport arms; Ocean State didn’t score for the first time until the ninth, when it was too late. John Lumpinski and Tyler Cortland pitched the final three frames and shut the door.
The Gulls opened the scoring with a run in the third. After Luke Beckstein reached on an error, back-to-back singles from Ben Rounds and Sam Kulasingam put him a base away from scoring. The Friday night walk off hero did just that, crossing home plate on an RBI fielder’s choice from Colton Ledbetter.
Two innings later, Kulasingam made his impact known again. His bloop double scored Beckstein again, and the Gulls doubled their lead. That was all the offense Newport needed in a gritty, 2-1 win.
The Gulls are off Sunday before returning to Cardines Field Monday night for their first matchup with the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks (3-1). First pitch is at 6:35pm.