Fresh off of a doubleheader sweep of the Mystic Schooners to clinch the Coastal Division for the 3rd consecutive year, the Gulls returned to Cardines to play their first Sunday home game since July 2012, in the 7th and final installation of the Pell Bridge Series in 2024. While they would have their best pitching performance in a long time, the bats went surprisingly cold, leading to a 2-0 defeat on a rainy night in Newport.
Campbell Holt(Austin Peay) got his 1st start as a Gull, looking to support a beleaguered bullpen heavily used since the All Star Break. Ocean State got their offense going immediately, with an RBI double off the ivy in right center. However, two defensive plays from Luke Orbon(St. John’s) got the Gulls out of the inning without allowing an earned run. Holt would continue to deal for 3 more innings, working through the 4th without conceding an earned run, recording 3 strikeouts on the night. Ocean State starter Corey Kling was even better, not allowing a single run in 4 innings of work, limiting the Gulls to 3 runners on base, only allowing 2 hits while striking out seven.
In the 5th, the lanky Gulls lefty Ty Starke(Louisville) would make his 1st appearance at Cardines since the All-Star Break. He would make his impact immediately, striking out his 1st two batters en route to retiring the side in order. In the 6th, Starke would repeat his 5th with the exception of one walk, recording 2 more outs via the K. Starke would have another solid inning in the 7th, despite conceding a solo home run to Zac Zyons, before retiring the 1st batter of the 8th, finishing his night with 3.1 innings pitched and the home run his only blemish. He would be replaced by Casey O’Dell(Florida Southern), who would get through the rest of the 8th unscathed. O’Dell would walk another in the 9th, before escaping undamaged with the Gulls down 2-0.
Despite the Gulls phenomenal pitching, the bats were unable to string together any combination of hits, only recording two: a single from Randy Seymour(Michigan St.) in the 2nd and an infield hit from Niko Brini(Wofford) in the 3rd. Though they would put the tying run at the plate in the 9th, a strikeout of Jake Burley(Wake Forest) led to the Gulls being shutout for the 1st time in 13 months.
The good news for Newport is they have a chance to respond immediately. After falling to 26-16 they can clinch the 2nd seed in the NECBL playoffs with a win vs. Mystic tomorrow, a game at Cardines with 1st pitch scheduled for 6:35. Ocean State will play North Shore tomorrow, before a crucial doubleheader at Vermont on Wednesday to determine if their playoff aspirations come to fruition.
