Crazy Eight For Newport as Win Streak Continues

The 2026 NECBL season has delivered great baseball weather all summer, but Mother Nature got the final word last night. The Gulls’ trip to Hartford, Vermont was cut short by a storm, and in a contest that lasted only six innings, Newport captured a 2-0 victory over the Upper Valley Nighthawks. The win pushes the Gulls to a league-best eight straight and keeps them climbing the South Division standings.

Nate Schlote (Vanderbilt) took the mound for his third start of the season. The Commodore went four innings, his longest outing yet, and held the Nighthawks scoreless.

Newport grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI single from Mason Ligenza (Pittsburgh). The offense kept the pressure on with eight hits on the evening, but the Gulls didn’t score again until the fifth. That’s when Colby Wallace (Eastern Carolina) delivered his second hit of the game, and it was a loud one: a solo homerun over the left field wall to put the Gulls up 2-0.

Kyler Zagar (Oklahoma St.) came out of the bullpen looking to preserve the shutout. Zagar allowed just two hits through two innings, and the Nighthawks couldn’t get anything across.

Rain rolled in during the top of the seventh and eventually ended the ballgame after a short delay. Under NECBL rules, five innings meet the minimum for a complete game, so Newport gets credit for the shutout win. The Gulls are back at home today against the Danbury Westerners. First pitch is at 6:35 pm, with streaming available on NECBL+.