Newport Rams took game one of its rivalry series against Williamstown Wolves with a dramatic 4-3 extra-inning victory at KC White Reserve on Sunday.
The Rams found the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning on a Wolves’ fielding error.
Rams assistant coach Gavin Young told Star Weekly that, typically, neither side would back down.
“It was a classic Newport-Williamstown match,” he said. “Both sides played right up to the end.”
The Rams were in control for the most part until import closer Eric Kline got into a whole lot of trouble in the ninth, giving up three hits leading to three runs for the Wolves’ one, two and three – Aaron Green, Dean Marnell and Andrew Russell.
The Rams kept faith with Kline and he came through in the 10th, pitching a scoreless inning and leaving it to his batters to secure the win.
Jordan Young led off the 10th and picked up a single for the Rams. Young did not stop there, moving across the second on a stolen base.
With the winning run on second, Liam Vicary-Lovegrove played a ground ball to short stop then scampered to first base, causing a wild throw that allowed Young to get to home plate, where he was mobbed by his ecstatic teammates.
“We had the right guy on base at the right time,” Young said. “He’s our fastest runner and he’s stolen half a dozen bases or more already this year.”
The Wolves (2-3) will not have to wait long for a shot at redemption. They host game two of the three-game series against the Rams (3-2) at Greenwich Reserve today at 6pm.
