Newport, R.I.
The Nighthawks (10-10) did so in game two of their day-night, 14-inning doubleheader against the Newport Gulls on Monday, holding on a 6-5 win. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak that was elongated by a 4-2 loss to the Gulls in Game 1.
Upper Valley is 2-2 in doubleheaders this summer with two more on the horizon next week — July 10 on the road against the Danbury Westerners and July 15 at home against the Vermont Mountaineers.
“We finally got some timely hitting: a big double from (Anthony) Meduri and a go-ahead RBI from (Anthony) Quirion,” said Upper Valley head coach Jason Szafarski.
Nighthawks hitters put together a combined eight runs on 18 hits and four walks in the doubleheader. They also needed a comeback in Game 2.
Newport took a 5-2 lead after two innings off of Pace University pitcher and returning Nighthawk Danny Wirchansky, who gave up four hits and three runs in an inning of work in his first outing of the season.
Davis Mikell (Castleton) answered with a two-run home run in the top of the second inning, getting UV on the board. The Gulls plated two more off of Nighthawks reliever Ty Adcock in the bottom of the inning, keeping the Nighthawks at bay.
But Upper Valley’s pitchers settled in. Jordy Allard (SNHU) allowed only one hit, one walk and struck out one in 1-1/3 innings in relief. Jack Ipsen (Bryant) took over in the fourth with a strikeout. Ipsen earned the win.
It was all the headway A.J. Franklin (Vanderbilt) needed, striking out six in the last three innings for the save. Newport did not get on base with Franklin on the mound.
Meanwhile, Upper Valley’s offense straightened itself out. Anthony Meduri (Binghamton) drove in two runs on a double in the fourth before getting caught trying to reach third base. In the fifth, Chris Berry (North Florida) scored on a balk from Gulls pitcher Austen Michel and Anthony Quirion (Lamar) drove in the game-winning run — Greg Hardison (UNC-Greensboro) — from second base.
Berry was 3-for-4 in Game 2. Hardison was 2-for-4.
The teams were scoreless through the first four innings of Game 1 until Newport broke things open with two runs in the fifth inning. The Gulls scored in each of the last three innings for the victory.
Nighthawks starter Levi Thomas (Troy) allowed eight hits, three runs, three walks and struck out six in 5-1/3 innings, taking the loss in his third start of the summer. Ryan Parker pitched the rest of the way, allowing a hit, a run and two walks.
Upper Valley’s offense had nine hits, no walks and struck out six times in Game 1. The Nighthawks also stranded five runners on base.
Alvin Melendez (Fordham) got Upper Valley on the board in the bottom of the fifth, scoring Meduri from third base on a sacrifice fly. Quirion added to it in the sixth inning, scoring on an RBI single from Matt Tarabek (Fordham).
Gulls pitcher Tyler Mattison (Bryant) allowed one run on seven hits and four strikeouts in five innings for the Game 1 victory. Newport’s Nic Enright (Virginia Tech) got the save, allowing one run on two hits in the last two innings.
The Nighthawks have today off before traveling to the Vermont Mountaineers on Wednesday, beginning a stretch of five games in five days.