The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks are moving on to the second round of the playoffs.

After sweeping the Bristol Blues in commanding fashion, the Sharks will travel to Newport, R.I., to open the South Division Championship Series on Monday night.

Playoff rounds are two out of three contests, and Martha’s Vineyard wasted no time establishing dominance in the first round matchup against the Blues. In Game 1, pitcher Ross Felder delivered a gem on the road, allowing just two hits over 7.1 scoreless innings while striking out four on 102 pitches. The Sharks’ offense backed him up with authority, rolling to an 11-0 victory.

Back home on Saturday night at the Shark Tank, right-hander Chayce Kieck took the reins and was just as lethal on the mound. He fired seven shutout innings on 93 pitches, striking out eight. Designated hitter Evan Applewick provided a game changing swing in the bottom of the fourth inning, launching a grand slam to help seal the 6-0 win.

The Sharks held Bristol scoreless across 18 innings, the first time they shut out a playoff opponent since their 2022 season when they won the league championship.

Standing in the way of a championship berth for the Vineyard this season are the two-time defending NECBL champion Newport Gulls. The sharks lost the regular season series with the Gulls 2-4. The latest chapter of this South Division rivalry promises to be a tightly contested affair with both teams battling for the Division title.

Game 1 of the next round is scheduled for Monday at 6:35 p.m. in Newport at historic Cardines Field, and will air on ESPN+. Game 2 will be at the Shark Tank Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.