Kettleers’ Maintain Five-Point Lead Over Wareham Atop Western Div.
By Megan Kerr/Asst. Web Editor
July 11, 2006
COTUIT, MA — Cotuit tied Bourne three to three as they were unable to continue the game after nine innings due to darkness. Bourne jumped out to an early lead against Cotuit starter Shane Matthews (East Carolina, 5BB, 4K, 7H) as Matthews struggled in the early going to contain the Braves attack. The Braves first got on the board as Kyle Russell (Texas, 1-4, 1 RBI) misjudged Ty Wright’s (Oklahoma State, 1-5) hit, allowing him to reach second and putting Austin Krum (Dallas Baptist, 3-4) on third with one out. Mitch Mooreland (Mississippi St, 1-5, 1 RBI) then hit a sac fly to score Wright, giving the Braves their first lead of the game. Bourne used the momentum their early lead gave them to keep applying pressure to Matthews as they added another run both in the second and third innings.
Matthews settled down after the first three innings, giving Cotuit the opportunity it needed to go on the offensive. Cotuit’s comeback started in the bottom of the fourth as Russell came up to the plate to lead off the inning against Braves starter Kyle Walker (Texas, 5BB, 3K, 3H). Up to this point Walker was in complete control of the game, but Russell sent the second pitch he threw to him over the left field fence for his second homerun of the season and Cotuit’s first run of the day. Walker threw one more inning, but then left the game after having thrown over one hundred pitches in five innings in reliever Chris Salberg’s (Florida Atlantic, 2BB, 2K, 3H) hands.
Salberg was unable to preserve the lead that Walker gave him as he started off the seventh inning by allowing a single to Brett Lilley (Notre Dame, 1 for 2) and a walk to Jeff Rea (Mississippi St, 0 for 4). Justin Smoak (South Carolina, 2 for 4, 1 RBI) then singled to center field, tying the game up at three as a bobble by the center fielder allowed both runners to score. Unfortunately, Cotuit was unable to add any more runs in the inning as both Reese Havens (South Carolina, 0 for 5) and Kyle Russell struck out, failing to score Smoak from third base.
Tim Ladd (Georgia Tech, 0BB, 0K, 2H) and Cory Gearrin (Young Harris, 2 BB, 0K, 1 H) pitched three scoreless innings for Cotuit, giving the Kettleers the opportunity they needed to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. Andrew Carignan (UNC, 2 BB, 7K, 1 H) pitched the ninth for the Braves, and struck out Smoak for the first out of the inning. Eric Farris (Loyola Marymount, 1 for 1) singled and stole his team leading fifth base of the season to put pressure on Carignan as Cotuit now had a runner in scoring position. Cotuit was unable to capitalize though as the next two batters struck out, leaving the score tied at three apiece after nine innings. No extra innings were able to be played though as it was too dark to continue play, giving both the Kettleers and the Braves their first tie of the season. Cotuit plays again today at home against the Chatham A’s before going on a three game road trip as the Kettleers look to continue their solid play.