BRISTOL, CT — The Gulls returned to Muzzy Field in August for the 1st time since clinching the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup last year. On a gorgeous Monday evening in the Nutmeg State, the two final teams from 2023 would fight for the right to return to the promised land in what will go down as one of the best games in recent NECBL playoff history. Ultimately, a game built on clutch hits, immaculate defense, and four lead changes would be a triumphant 7-6 sequel for the Gulls as they earned their 12th trip to the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup Championship series.
Drew Blake(Oklahoma St.) made his 1st postseason appearance as a member of the Gulls organization as the starting pitcher in a potential clincher, opposite Bristol starter Jackson Kossow. Through the first two and a half innings, a pitcher’s duel seemed to be brewing, as only two runners reached base, one on a walk for Bristol, one on a Gulls single from Carmelo Mussachia(Northeastern). However, in the bottom of the 3rd, that would change quickly. After two walks led to two Blues runners on with two outs, Dean Ferrara chopped one up the middle into shallow center to drive home the 1st run. The next batter, Gavin Greggor, flared one into shallow center, eluding the outstretched glove of Andrew Duncan(Florida State) to make it 2-0 Bristol after 3.
As they have shown all year, the Gulls were unwilling to stay down for long. Andrew Duncan lined a single up the middle before Dixon Williams(ECU) drew a 5-pitch walk. After a long flyout from last year’s Muzzy Field hero Tyler Hare(Wofford), Nolan Stevens(Miss. St.) came up to bat, hitting 0 for 15 in the postseason. Kossow, who had been near perfect to that point, left one up in the zone, and Stevens crushed it 410 feet into the parking lot to give Newport a 3-2 lead. However, Bristol was just as unwilling to stay down. Two quick hits to start the bottom of the 4th set up a 2-out, 2-on situation for the 3rd half inning in a row. Jordan Payton, the Bristol 2nd Baseman, lined one inches over the glove of Randy Seymour to reestablish a Blues lead at 4-3. The Gulls would even things up in the 5th with the help of two who were in this spot a year ago. Jake Burley(Wake Forest) walked and advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch. With two outs and two strikes, the Gulls needed a clutch hitter and up stepped Niko Brini(Wofford). A lined shot graced the grass in center, Burley flew around the 3rd base bag, and at the halfway point, the game was square at four apiece.
In the top of the 6th, Newport would keep the offense rolling. A 1-out single for Tyler Hare would start the party before Nolan Stevens would continue his hot night with a double laced down the left field line. With two in scoring position and one out, Randy Seymour(Michigan St.) hit a wicked ground ball at JT Landwehr, the Bristol shortstop. Recognizing the importance of Hare scoring, Stevens intentionally drew the intention of Landwehr, drawing himself into a rundown. This would erase him from the basepaths, but not before Seymour reached 1st on the fielder’s choice, with Hare coming home to give the Gulls a 5-4 lead. It would remain as such heading to the bottom half of the inning, where Drew Blake’s night would be done after recording one out, as manager Mike Coombs would issue a call to the bullpen, bringing on righty Nick Dirito(Umass Lowell). His catcher helped him immediately, as Burley would cut down a runner going for second, allowing Dirito to exit the inning in two pitches, with the Gulls nine outs from the championship series.
The Gulls would extend that lead in the 7th with another 2-out rally. After a Musacchia single, Andrew Duncan beat out an infield grounder for his 2nd hit of the day. Enter Dixon Williams. The league’s batting leader, who had been quieted thus far, sent a 1-1 pitch over the pitcher’s mound and into center field, giving the Gulls their 1st multi-run lead of the day. Unfortunately for Newport, that would not last for long, as Dean Ferraro would record his 2nd 2-out RBI single of the day, this one bouncing off DiRito’s leg, giving Bristol a big break as we went to the 8th.
After a 6-batter 8th inning, we would head to the 9th in a one-run game. After a cinematic 1st eight innings, the 9th would be a movie of its own. The Gulls would begin their half of the inning with a Musacchia flyout before Niko Brini drew a full-count walk. Duncan continued his impressive postseason with a line-drive single to right center, his 3rd hit of the night. Bristol would respond with a pitching change, bringing Clint James Pazdera in to face Williams. The crowd, which had been nothing but boisterous all night, went silent. Conversations between players in the on-deck circle became audible. Williams, in his usual fashion, worked the count full. On the payoff pitch, Williams guessed offspeed and guessed right. Getting under the ball, he lifted one deep to center field as Brini tagged up to give the Gulls a 7-5 lead. After a strikeout of Tyler Hare, the bottom of the 9th beckoned.
Nick DiRito would still have the confidence of Coach Coombs to start the inning, but after two leadoff walks, Adam Walker(Austin Peay) would come in to pitch. A hard-hit ground ball went to Musacchia at 2nd, who won the footrace to the bag, getting out number one. A four-pitch walk to Easton Brenner would load the bases with only one out, putting the winning run on 1st. Ferraro, who had already twice been the hero, lined one sharply in front of Musacchia, who stayed calm and recorded the out at first while allowing the run to score.
With a one-run game and a lefty batter at the plate, Coombs went to his bullpen, bringing on the southpaw Campbell Holt (Austin Peay) for a lefty-lefty matchup. In a bold move, Bristol manager Tim Binkoski removed Gavin Greger, his cleanup hitter, in favor of the righty Skye Selinsky. The crowd hung on every pitch. Ball one. Called strike. Ball two. A pitch over the plate fouled down the 3rd-base line for strike two. On the 2-2, Holt set and delivered a beautiful curveball that crossed the backdoor of the plate, freezing Selinksy and, with it, ending the Blues’ season. Holt, who was added to the roster less than a month ago, had just sent the Gulls back to the Championship Series. The Gulls team rushed the field from the dugout and bullpen as the away crowd roared its approval to a team that had guaranteed another shot at greatness.
With the win, the Gulls clinched their spot in the NECBL championship series. The series will begin Wednesday against the Sanford Mainers with 1st pitch coming at 6:35 PM from Cardines Field