By: Shannon Bickert

Joel Collado walked off the Gulls with a bunt single in the 11th inning. Mystic trailed 12-6 heading to the bottom of the 11th. Mystic earned their fourth straight victory with a 13-12 extra innings win over Newport. The Schooners moved to 6-1 in the summer.

Anthony Ruggiero (Northeastern) recorded four hits on the day, leading the Schooners' offense.

Harrison Engle (Fairfield) allowed early traffic on the basepaths, but the Gulls were unable to cash in.

Cade Brown (Georgia Tech) worked a walk, and Maddox Haley (Gonzaga) ripped a single up the middle, but Engle got out of trouble, stranding both baserunners.

Burkley Bounds (Kentucky) took the bump for Newport and tossed an efficient three-up, three-down first inning.

Engle fanned two in his second inning of work, allowing an infield single to Gus Gandy (Samford) in the frame.

The Schooners broke open the scoring, tallying four in the second inning. Mystic brought their first baserunner aboard in Casey Wensley (Bryant), who worked a walk. Devin Russell (Maryland) knocked a double down the third base line, scoring Wensley. In his first at-bat as a Schooner, Thomas O’Connell (Virginia) earned a free pass, and Ruggiero loaded the bases with an infield single to shortstop. Jack Harley (Stetson) made Bounds pay, working a full count walk, bringing in Russell to score. Jamie Zee (Notre Dame) added on with a two-double down the left field line.

The Gulls called on Jake Gregor (Louisville) from the bullpen to take over in the third. Wensley worked his second walk of the day against Gregor with two outs, but Mystic was unable to capitalize against the new arm.

Ryan Novak (Miami) opened up the fourth inning with an opposite field double to deep center field. Tristian Salinas (Rutgers) followed with a hard-hit infield single. Cole Johnson (Austin Peay) smoked a single up the middle to put Newport on the board. Engle’s day ended two outs into the frame before Stephen Curry (Seton Hall) took over. Curry got out of the jam, striking out the one hitter he faced in the inning.

Newport rallied in the fifth frame, making it a one-run ballgame. Haley knocked an RBI double to right-center field to cut the deficit to two runs. Novak worked a walk and Salinas ripped an RBI single. Johnson hit a single out to left field and the Gulls sent Novak home, however the left fielder, Cam Righi (UConn), threw a laser home to keep Mystic’s one-run lead. Zev Salsberg (Bryant) came out of the Schooners’ bullpen and forced a groundout to end the inning.

Mystic added an insurance run in the fifth inning. Ruggiero opened the bottom of the frame with a single to left field. Zee tallied his second RBI of the day on a single up the middle to make it a 5-3 game. Newport got out of trouble with a strike him out, throw him out double play.

Salsberg dealt in the sixth frame tossing a 1-2-3 inning.

Will Allen (USF) took the ball for Newport in the sixth and tacked on another run. Wensley ripped a solo shot over the left field fence, giving Mystic a 6-3 lead.

MJ Bollinger (UConn) made his third relief appearance of the season for Mystic in the seventh. Bollinger allowed a walk and single, but left the inning unscathed, striking out two.

Ruggiero ripped his third hit of the day, a double down the left field line, but Ruggiero was stranded on the basepaths by Allen.

The Gulls chipped away in the eighth inning, scoring with patience at the plate. Bollinger walked four in the frame before turning the ball over to Liam Chamberlin (Portal). Newport cut the deficit to one with a sacrifice fly off Haley’s bat.

John Mass (BC) sat down the Schooners order in the bottom of the eighth frame.

Newport knotted the game up in the top of the ninth. Johnson worked a walk and Gandy wore a pitch. On a fielder’s choice and overthrow, Johnson, the tying run, came in to score. Connor Lane (UConn) stranded a baserunner with a strikeout to keep it a tied ballgame.

Mass struck out three in the ninth, sending the game to extra innings.

Lane tossed a three strikeout 10th inning.

Ruggiero wore a pitch and Harley laid down a perfect bunt single down the third base line to load the bases in extras with no outs. Newport brought in the extra infielder, trying to prevent the walkoff. Mass delivered in a critical moment, striking out three to send the game to the 11th inning.

Newport doubled their run total in the 11th inning. Silnas gave Newport their first lead of the game, ripping a gapper double, scoring the ghost runner. The Gulls took advantage of an error, scoring Silnas to give the Gulls a two-run lead. Gandy followed, delivering an RBI double to deep center field. Robert Ogg (Rollins) came in to record the final out of the 11th. Gandy scored on a double, and Devan Zirwas (EMU) poured on with an RBI single. Brown doubled, adding to the damage, giving the Gulls a six-run advantage.

Wensley opened the 11th inning with a single to left, and Scott Penney (URI) loaded the bases with a walk. Russell delivered a grand slam to deep left field to cut the deficit to two runs. Christian Butera (Brown) wore one, and Ruggeiro ripped a double to center field to keep the rally alive. Harley walked to juice the bases once again for the Schooners, making Newport turn to their bullpen. Mack Edwards (UCLA) came in to relieve Mass. Zee tied the game with a two-RBI single to right field. Collado delivered the theatrics, the walk-off bunt single.

The Schooners return to the Shipyard on Friday, June 12, to battle the Valley BlueSox. First pitch from Ed Harvey Field is set for 6:30 pm.