By Jessica Isner, Staff Writer
August 8, 2007

COTUIT, MA — The last game greatly resembled the first. Same weather, same constant parade of pitchers, but different outcome. In their final effort of the 2007 season, the Cotuit Kettleers beat Yarmouth-Dennis, 11-9, for the first and last time this season.

Jim Birmingham of UPenn started for the Kettleers, but it was short lived: he was removed after just two innings, having surrendered one run one two hits with a couple of strikeouts. Y-D sent Shawn Sanford and his 3.79 ERA to the mound. He departed with the lead, after having lasted five and a third innings, giving up two runs on four hits.

The playoff-bound Red Sox got their offense started early against Birmingham, in only his second start of the season. In the first, Grant Green led off with a single, moved over on a wild pitch, and stole third. He was kept at bay as Birmingham got two quick outs, but came home on a first pitch RBI single by cleanup hitter Sean Ochinko.

Cotuit tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, when Josh Harrison led off the inning with a base hit and then stole second. He moved up to third when Aaron Baker grounded out, and Caleb Joseph drove him in on a single to left center to knot the game at one.

Y-D reclaimed the lead in the fifth, though, against Matt Wright, Cotuit’s third pitcher of the game. Nine-hole hitter Joe Railey worked a leadoff walk and Buster Posey hit a one-out single to put men at first and third with one out. Railey came home on a wild pitch to make it 2-1 in the Red Sox’ favor, and after Wright walked Jason Castro, he was lifted for Josh Lindblom. Lindblom struck out the final two batters of the frame.

Again, in the bottom of the fifth, the Kettleers came back to tie it up at two. Robert Stock led off with a single up the middle. Brian Wilson then called out on interference, and Correy Figueroa grounded into a fielder’s choice, stole second, and came around on a double by Reese Havens.

With Lindblom still pitching the sixth, the Sox jumped back out in front, 3-2. Aaron Luna singled on and moved over to third when Casey Coon also singled. Colin Cowgill registered a hit to right which scored Luna.

True to the nature of this game, Cotuit came back once again in the bottom of the sixth, but this time, they took a 5-3 lead. After Sanford delivered two consecutive one-out walks, he was replaced by reliever David Anderson, who gave up a two-out, three-run bomb to Robert Stock. It was his fourth of the season, good for second on the team.

And, consistent with the character of the game, Y-D tied it back at five on a couple of runs against Lindblom in the seventh. But in the bottom of the inning, Cotuit took a 7-5 lead when Harrison led off with a single, Caleb Joseph was hit by a pitch, and both came around to score when the Red Sox catcher tried to check on Harrison at third and his throw sailed into left field.

But then – you guessed it – the Red Sox took the lead in dramatic fashion, on a grand slam by Gordon Beckham. Beckham was the first batter to face pitcher Brian Wilson, after Rex Brothers had come in with the bases loaded and no outs to register two strikeouts.

It may have been the last inning of the last game, but Cotuit still had some juice left. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth and the sun having set long ago, Cotuit came back to take an 11-9 lead and win their final bid. Wilson got the rally going with a base hit to center, and pinch hitter Tony Delmonico singled on before Havens brought them both home on a triple.