Story by Steve McCarthy
June 25, 2009
COTUIT- This time it was not shaky fielding that cost the Cotuit Kettleers against the cross-town rival Hyannis Mets, but a ninth inning run manufactured by timely hitting that gave the visitors a 3-2 win Thursday at Lowell Park in Cotuit.
Eddie Rohan (Winthrop) hit the game winning RBI single to left-center field that brought home Dustin Harrington (East Carolina) from second base. Rohan entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning and scored Hyannis’ first run in his first plate appearance.
“The team that played best won,” Cotuit manager Mike Roberts said. “They’ve done the little things better than we have, and they’re 2-and-0 against us.”
Cotuit (5-4-1) held a 2-0 lead into the fifth inning, thanks to back-to-back RBI doubles by Rico Noel (Coastal Carolina) and Cody Stanley (UNC Wilmington) in the third inning.
In the fifth, Hyannis’ Kenny Swab (Young Harris) scored on a sac-fly by Trent Whitehead (East Carolina), and Rohan scored from second on an RBI single by Ryan Cuneo (Delaware). Rohan reached on a walk and advanced on a sac-bunt by Elliot Soto (Creighton).
Cotuit thought they had Hyannis’ Nick Crawford (UAB) down on strikes for the third out before Cuneo came to bat, but the third base umpire ruled his bat did not cross the plane, and Crawford instead drew a walk to extend the inning.
The Kettleers threatened to re-take the lead in the eighth inning after Roberts called on pitcher Mike Nesseth (Nebraska) to pinch run for Kevin Patterson (Auburn) on second base. Tony Plagman (Georgia Tech) lined a two-out single up the middle, and Nesseth came around third aggressively, but the throw from short center field beat Nesseth to the plate.
“Obviously, nobody’s going to score on that, but we’re going to take a chance if he gets a bad throw,” Roberts said.
Kevin Brandt (East Carolina) and Dallas Gallant (Sam Houston) combined for four shutout innings of relief for Hyannis. Brandt (1-0) earned the win after two and two-thirds innings of work, and allowed Cotuit’s lone hit after the fourth inning. Mets starting pitcher Jay Brown allowed both Cotuit runs in his 5 inning outing.
“Offensively, we’ve got a long, long way to go to be able to scare anybody in this league,” Roberts said of Cotuit’s third straight game with five or less hits.
Ben Rowen (0-1, Virginia Tech) took the loss for Cotuit after surrendering the winning run. The single was one of two hits allowed by Rowen, who struck out four in four innings of relief.
Brandon Cumpton (1-0, Georgia Tech) lasted four innings in his second start for Cotuit, and allowed one run on five hits while striking out two. Matt Grace (UCLA) pitched an inning between Cumpton and Rowen and gave up the second Hyannis run.
The Mets had nine hits in the game, led by Cody Hawn (Tennessee) who was 2-for-4. Tony Plagman (Georgia Tech) had a double and a single for Cotuit, who had three of their five hits come in the two run third inning.
The Kettleers will travel to Wareham Friday for the second time this season to play a 7 p.m. game against the Gatemen.