DE GANDI NEAR UNHITTABLE IN SEASIDE WIN

A 2-out bloop base hit by Tyler Grant in the second inning was all that separated Seaside pitcher Mitch De Gandi from a 7-inning no-hitter Monday, as the Gulls blanked the Banks Braves 8-0 at Broadway Field.

DeGandi struck out 13 batters and walked only two in the shutout win. The senior righthander struck out the next seven batters he faced after allowing the only Banks hit of the game, as the Seagulls improved to 6-5 in Cowapa League and 11-10 overall.

He had a hard curve and had great command of his slider," said Seagulls head coach Joel Dierickx. "But his best pitch was his fastball. He had a little jump and good movement."

De Gandi held the top four batters in the Braves order to a combined 0-for-12 with ten strikeouts.

"He was on tonight," said Dierickx. "It was fun to watch."

DeGandi worked with a slim 1-0 lead until the fourth inning, when Mark Thysell's 3-run home run keyed a four run Seagull outburst. The Gulls added three more runs in the fifth.

Will Beatty drove in two runs on a sacrifice fly in the fourth and RBI single in the fifth. Ross Knutsen went 2-for-3 at the plate with three runs scored and Jon Giztavich was 2-for-2 with two runs scored.

Jordan Quinones took the loss for the Braves, who fell to 2-9 in league and 6-13 overall.

Seaside plays at Tillamook tonight. The game was moved up today to avoid a state band conflict. The Seagulls head to Scappoose on Thursday for a make-up game against the Indians. The teams are currently tied for third place in the Cowapa League following the Indians 2-0 loss to Yamhill-Carlton Monday.