NEWPORT — The Newport Gulls erupted for 10 runs over two innings to defeat the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks 14-7 in Game 1 of their New England Collegiate Baseball League semifinal series Monday night, moving within one victory of returning to the championship series for a third consecutive season.
Aiden O’Connell of Duke made his first start of the season count, allowing just two runs over five innings while striking out five batters to earn the victory for Newport.
The Sharks struck first in the third inning when Landon Scilly drove a double into the right-field corner to score Brayden Martin. Gio Colasante followed with an RBI single to give Martha’s Vineyard a 2-0 lead.
That advantage proved short-lived as Newport answered with five runs in the bottom half of the inning. After Kyle Branch of Oklahoma and Petey Craska of North Alabama drew walks to open the frame, Matthew Bolton of Binghamton hit a slow infield single that allowed Branch to score on a throwing error.
The Gulls’ bats then came alive. Colby Wallace of East Carolina and Adam Agresti of St. John’s delivered consecutive singles before Randy Seymour doubled to give Newport a 5-2 lead.
The home run ball extended the advantage in the fourth inning. Michael Gupton of Memphis launched a three-run homer over the left-field trees, and Agresti added a two-run shot that traveled more than 410 feet as the Gulls plated five more runs for a 10-2 lead.
Gupton wasn’t finished, adding his second homer of the night in the sixth inning. The performance marked his second multi-home run game in a week, following a three-homer explosion against Danbury seven days earlier.
Martha’s Vineyard mounted a late charge, scoring twice in the seventh and adding three more in the eighth on Blake Binderup’s three-run homer to cut the deficit to 11-7. But Newport answered immediately in the bottom half, scoring three runs on a bases-loaded walk to Agresti and a two-run error by Martin.
Logan Olson of Penn State closed out the victory for the Gulls, who can clinch the series in Game 2 Tuesday night at Martha’s Vineyard. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., with the game available on ESPN+.
The winner of the series will advance to the NECBL championship, where Newport would have the opportunity to defend its title for the third straight season.