By: Shannon Bickert
Jack Harley (Stetson) walked it off for the Schooners in a 10-9 10th inning victory on Thursday, July 9 against the Gulls. The Schooners moved to 16-9 on the summer while the Gulls fell to 16-10-1.
Anthony Ruggiero (URI) recorded a two home run night in the win for the Schooners.
Mason Ligenza (UPitt) doubled off Nick Santivanez (Cal St. Fullerton) in the first, but Ligenza was stranded on the basepaths.
Harley ripped the first pitch he saw against Parker Rhodes (MSU) into right field to start off the Schooners. Rhodes allowed Harley to move into scoring position, however, the Schooners were unable to strike in the first.
Caeden Cloud (UK) hit an infield single to lead off the top of the second. Santivanez got out of the frame unscathed with a strike him out throw him out double play.
Jamie Zee (Notre Dame) worked a two-out walk against Rhodes, who kept it a scoreless game through two innings.
Braxton Tramel (ECU) broke open the scoring in the top of the third with a 435-foot solo shot to give the Gulls the lead.
Brandon Larson (USC) ripped Newport’s second solo homer in as many innings in the fourth frame.
The Schooners answered with their own solo shot in the fourth. Ruggiero ripped a 415-foot blast to right field, making it a 2-1 game.
In his last inning of work, Santivanez allowed a basehit to Cole Johnson (Austin Peay). Santivanez ended his line with six strikeouts to his tally.
Cam Righi (UConn) singled off the new Newport arm, Zane Stahl (Louisville) in the fifth and swiped his team-leading 14th bag of the summer. Harley knocked his second hit of the day into right to put runners on the corners. Thanks to a misplay, Casey Wensley (Bryant) plated Righi to knot the score at two all. Anthony Belisario (Portal) gave Mystic the lead with a two-RBI single down the right field line, making it a 4-2 game.
The Schooners made their first call to the bullpen in the sixth to Tristan Aasland (UConn). Aasland dealt a 1-2-3 frame with two strikeouts.
The Schooners continued to add on against the second Newport bullpen arm, Burkley Bounds (UK), in the sixth. The first two batters Bounds faced, Ruggiero and Gavin O’Brien (Northeastern), worked walks. Thomas O’Connell (UVA) plated a run on a chopper up the middle, and Zee added on with a sacrifice fly. Righi kept the line moving with a single, setting up Christian Butera (Brown) for an RBI-bloop single. Harley brought in the fourth run of the frame with a sacrifice fly, giving the Schooners an 8-2 advantage.
The Gulls rallied back in the seventh with a five-run frame, making it a one-run contest. Tramel plated two on an RBI-single to right field. Adam Broski (MSU) reached on an error, forcing the Schooners to bring in Connor Shaw (SDSU). Gus Gandy (Samford) cut the deficit to two runs on a two-RBI double. Ligenza brought the Gulls within one on a long RBI-single to the right-center field fence.
The Schooners got back a run in the bottom of the frame. Ruggiero ripped his second long ball of the evening in the seventh against Will Coleman (UK), giving Mystic a 9-7 lead.
The Gulls knotted things up in the eighth as Liam Chamberlin (Portal) took the mound for the Schooners. Newport loaded the bases on three consecutive base hits. Broski tied the game up with a two-RBI double to the right-centerfield gap.
Zee and Butera walked in the eighth, ending Coleman’s night. Newport turned to Mickey McClaskey (Gongaza), who struck out both hitters he faced to keep the score tied at nine.
Ligenza singled in the ninth, but the Schooners kept the Gulls from taking the lead, ending the inning with a double play.
Ruggiero walked in the ninth, but McClaskey forced extras, shutting down Mystic.
Chamberlin dealt a 1-2-3 10th inning, setting the table for Mystic’s walk-off theatrics.
Harley knocked a single and Justin Best (Manhattan) the pinch hitter came in to score on an overthrow, pushing Mystic past the Gulls.
The Schooners return to the Shipyard on Friday, July 9 to host the league-best Martha’s Vineyard. First pitch from Ed Harvey Field is set for 6:30 pm.
