Newport Gulls Earn First Win at Holyoke Since 2006

Newport Gulls starter Brett Lilek delivered five solid innings, while relievers Sean Harnett and Mark McCoy combined to shutout the Holyoke Blue Sox over the final four frames, as Newport picked up an 8-2 win on the road at Mackenzie Stadium for the first time since 2006.

Newport second baseman Shea Donlin carried the Gulls offense, continuing his hot streak at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. After starting the season 0-for-9, Donlin has reached base via a hit or a walk in each of his last nine at-bats dating back to a walk in the 15th inning of Wednesday night’s 3-2 victory over the Mystic Schooners.

The Gulls offense racked up eight runs on 10 hits (nine of which were singles), while drawing six walks in the victory. Conversely, Holyoke managed just two runs on seven hits as Gulls pitchers did not issue a walk and struck out five Blue Sox.  

Utilized mainly as a reliever at Arizona State, Lilek, a freshman left-handed pitcher earned the win, allowing just two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out three. Harnett, a sophomore right-hander from Washington State came on in relief, delivering three shutout frames, allowing just two hits while striking out a pair. McCoy, a freshman southpaw from Wake Forest delivered a scoreless ninth inning working around a hit to preserve the Gulls 8-2 victory.

Holyoke led 2-0 until the Gulls offense broke through in the fifth inning against Holyoke starter Jordan Hillyer, who ultimately was charged with the loss after allowing six runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out seven over six innings.

Designated hitter David Graybill, who finished the night 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, led off the inning with a single, Donlin and leadoff man, outfielder Cody Jones, followed with walks to load the bases with nobody out. Shortstop Trace Tam Sing struck out before outfielder Ben Roberts delivered an RBI single to right and outfielder Timmy Robinson followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2-2. First baseman Steve Anderson followed with a two-out, two-run double to right field, the Gulls only extra-base hit of the night, to give Newport the lead in the fifth inning.

The Gulls added to their lead with a run in the sixth inning as a result of a wild pickoff throw to first base allowing Graybill to score from third base and tacked on two more insurance runs in the seventh inning via an error by Blue Sox right-fielder Vahn Bozoian and an RBI single from Gulls third baseman Joel McKeithan.       

With the victory, the Newport Gulls improve to 6-3 overall, while the Holyoke Blue Sox fall to 6-4 overall this season. The Gulls sit just a half game out of first place in the Eastern Division, trailing the Laconia Muskrats.

Newport will be back in action on the road at the Saratoga Brigade on Saturday, June 22nd for the first-ever meeting between the two franchises. The Gulls will send right-hander Mick VanVossen (0-0, 1.50) to the mound for his third start of the season.

Since moving to Newport in 2001, the Gulls have captured the New England Collegiate Baseball League championship, the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup, an NECBL-record five times, and in 2012 were named the No. 1 summer collegiate team in the country by Perfect Game USA in Perfect Game’s Top 50 final rankings, capping a record-breaking season by Newport and marking the first time ever that an NECBL franchise has been ranked No. 1 nationally.

The Gulls, which attract more than 50,000 fans annually to historic Cardines Field in Newport, recruit players from the top college baseball programs in the country, and to date have sent six alumni to Major League Baseball teams, and over 150 players to professional baseball teams ranging from Independent leagues to Triple-A.

For more information, visit our website, www.newportgulls.com, and follow the team on Facebook and Twitter @NewportGulls.