Hochstatter and Schmidt Debut in Gulls Loss to Bay Sox

Threatening thunderstorms held off all night at but the Newport Gulls would not fare as well on the field, dropping their second straight contest, 10-2, to the red-hot New Bedford Bay Sox on Friday, June 22. 

New Bedford improved 8-4 overall this season and took over first place in the Eastern Division with the victory, while Newport fell to 6-3 overall, suffering their first loss at home this season. 

New Bedford’s relentless offense, led by first baseman Alex Black (4-for-5, RBI) and catcher Andy Lalli (2-for-5, HR and four RBI), blasted the Gulls pitching staff for 10 runs on 15 hits in the win. Newport racked up 10 hits of their own, but managed just two runs and left 10 men on base in the loss.

“We put the ball in play and usually good things will happen when we do that,” said Newport hitting coach Al Leyva. “The Bay Sox battled just as much as we did and got the better of us tonight.”

Lalli, shortstop Peyton Hart and third baseman Zach Stone all homered for New Bedford off Newport starter Mitch Horacek, who lasted just four and two thirds innings and fell to 0-1 this season with the loss. Horacek gave up five runs on six hits, with one strikeout and no walks. 

Reliever John Hochstatter made his season debut for the Gulls allowing two runs over five hits with two strikeouts and three walks in one inning of work. Reliever David Schmidt also made his Gulls debut as he tossed two innings in relief, allowing one run on one hit, with zero strikeouts and a trio of walks. Reliever David Hoey threw the final inning of the contest, giving up two runs on three walks, with one strikeout.

New Bedford starter Brian Derner pitched four solid innings allowing just one run on five hits, with nine strikeouts and two walks. Isaac Greenspon went two innings in relief of Derner and picked up the win improving to 2-1 this season. Greenspon allowed just one run over four hits, with two strikeouts and one walk. Reliever Jonathan Massad shutout the Gulls in the final two innings, giving up just one hit, with four strikeouts and zero walks.

Lalli got the offense started for the Bay Sox, hitting a two-run homer, his second of the season, to give New Bedford a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. Hart and Stone hit their first home runs of the season, each blasting solo home runs in the fifth inning to chase Horacek from the contest.

Lall struck again in the fifth inning, driving in a pair of runs with an RBI double to give the Bay Sox a 6-0 lead. Lalli finished the night with four RBI and doubled his season total to eight.

Newport battled back in the bottom of the fifth inning when shortstop Joel McKeithan, who went 2-for-3 on the night, doubled down the left field line and came around to score on designated hitter James McDonald’s RBI single back up the middle.

Trailing 8-1 in the seventh inning, Newport third baseman Brett Winger drove home outfielder Kasey Coffman with an RBI single to right, his sixth RBI on the season, to close out the scoring for the Gulls.

The Newport Gulls will be back in action on Saturday, June 23 taking on the Laconia Muskrats on the road. The Gulls will return home to Cardines Field on Monday, June 25 taking on the Vermont Mountaineers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m