Despite a home run on the first pitch of the game, the Newport Gulls had their four-game win streak snapped by the Danbury Westerners in a 10-3 loss on Tuesday night.
Anthony Leak was on the mound for Danbury and the first batter he faced to begin the game was Andrew Duncan (Florida State). To say Duncan wasted no time doing damage would be an understatement. Newport’s leadoff man blasted the first pitch of the game well over the center field fence to make an early statement.
The Gulls managed to double the lead in the third inning when Andrew Duncan scored yet again, coming home from third when Brody Szako (Austin Peay) grounded into a double play.
Brad Pruett (Oklahoma) made his first start of the summer on the hill for the Gulls after his first three appearances were out of the bullpen. After cruising through the first two innings by retiring the first six batters he faced, the Westerners finally solved Pruett in the third. The frame started with back-to-back singles from Hayden Miller and Roman DiGiacomo. Miller ended up scoring on a passed ball while DiGiacomo came home on an error moments later to tie the game. Danbury didn’t stop there as Ray Leonzi got on base with a walk and was eventually driven in on a sacrifice groundout from Michael Iannazzo to give the hosts a 3-2 lead.
The score stayed that way through the fourth but Niko Brini (Wofford) made sure to change that with his first home run of the season on the first pitch of the fifth inning to tie the game.
The game remained tied until the seventh inning when Newport went to its bullpen. Casey O’Dell (Florida Southern) replaced Pruett and the bottom of Danbury’s order made noise right away. Following a single from Hayden Miller and double from Roman DiGiacomo, Cristian Bernardini hit a single to drive in a run and give the Westerners a 4-3 lead. At that point, O’Dell was taken out and Mitchell Dean (Louisville) came in for the Gulls. Despite a new pitcher, Newport’s struggles continued as Michael Iannazzo delivered a single to score DiGiacomo and Bernardini later came home on a passed ball to make it 6-3.
Things only got worse for Newport in the eighth inning. After a leadoff walk, Jaden Sheffield went deep for Danbury’s first home run of the night and made it 8-3. Dean was taken out and Michal Kovala (Chipola) entered the game for the Guils. The Westerners continued to get on base as a single and walk but two runners on base. Then, Ray Leonzi singled to drive in Roman DiGiacomo. Jackson Teer (Trinity), a usual starter, was called upon with one out and the fourth run of the inning was added when a sacrifice fly from Michael Iannazzo scored Cristian Bernardini to give the Westerners a commanding 10-3 lead.
Newport had one last chance at a miracle in the ninth but Andrew Johnson finished the job to give Danbury a 10-3 win. The Gulls drop to 10-6 with the loss and attempt to rebound when they return to Cardines Field on Wednesday to face the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks. First pitch is slated for 6:35.
