Gulls Pitching Outduels SwampBats in 3-1 Win

After back-to-back off days, the Newport Gulls headed up north refreshed and aiming to capture their third straight win. And that’s exactly what they did. A cross-division matchup against rival the Keene SwampBats, Tuesday night offered a possible playoff preview against two of the league's best. In a pitchers’ duel, it was Newport edging out the win in 3-1 fashion.

Nate Schlote (Vanderbilt) was the first man on the mound for Newport. Making his second appearance of the season, the right-hander continued to impress, working three innings of shutout baseball. Schlote surrendered just one hit while sitting down the other nine batters he faced. 

The Gulls struck first in the top of the second, working a few runners aboard and capitalizing off an errant pickoff move that allowed Peter Mershon (Coastal Carolina) to score. Moments later, Richard Tejeda (USC) ripped a single to double the lead to 2-0. The lead grew in the top of the fourth as Brandon Larson (USC) unloaded his second long ball of the season – a towering shot that cleared the center field wall and gave Newport a commanding 3-0 lead.

Will Allen (USF) entered out of the bullpen to provide some relief in the middle innings. Allen surrendered one run during his first inning of work but settled in for three innings, holding on to the two-run lead. Parker Rhodes (Mississippi State) was the third arm up and moving for the Gulls. Nine outs away from Newport’s third straight victory, the right-hander continued to stifle the SwampBats’ offense. Rhodes breezed through his first two innings but, after issuing a walk in the ninth, Keene stood just one swing away from tying the ball game. It was a line drive up the middle that dashed the SwampBats’ hopes, as a 4-6-3 double play ended the ballgame and secured the Newport win.

Can the Gulls make it four straight? They’re back at Cardines tomorrow night against the Valley Blue Sox. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. with streaming available on ESPN+.