NEWPORT — Despite a setback in Monday night’s opening game of their scheduled doubleheader, the Valley Blue Sox showed remarkable resilience and determination to bounce back in the nightcap.
Valley, as a team, demonstrated its strength by scoring eight runs in the second inning. The Blue Sox’s collective effort led to a 9-3 victory over the Gulls in six innings, resulting in an eventual split.
The umpires briefly delayed this game in the sixth inning and later called it due to the lingering fog, which made the field barely visible to the players.
The Blue Sox totaled seven hits in the second inning. Jonathan Hogart hit a home run in his second at-bat of the inning to solidify a Blue Sox 8-0 lead.
Chase Jans singled to drive in Kyle Henington in the fifth inning to make it 9-0. Newport got three runs in the bottom of the inning. The Gulls threatened to score more runs that inning, but Valley relayed a double play to end the inning.
Valley starter John Kwiatkowski earned his first win of the season after going five innings pitched and allowed three runs on three hits. He struck out three and walked four.
Newport went with an opener to start the second game. Colby Holcombe received the loss thanks to Valley’s aforementioned massive second inning.
The Blue Sox travel to Wakefield on Tuesday night to play the Ocean State Waves. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
