story by Steve McCarthy
June 21, 2010
COTUIT – Seven runs on three hits with three errors. It’s an atypical scoring line, but the Cotuit Kettleers will take it if it means a 7-5 win and the end of a four game winless streak.
All of the runs in Monday’s game between host Cotuit and the Falmouth Commodores crossed in the second inning. Both starting pitchers struggled with command and walked a combined ten batters in the frame.
Cotuit improved to 2-5-1 while Falmouth fell to 4-4.
“I don’t think a lot of teams are going to walk us as much as that, so hopefully we can pick up the sticks a little more and clean it up a little bit more on defense,” Cotuit shortstop Levi Hyams (Georgia) said. “But hey, a win’s a win. We’ll take it.”
After a brief first inning for Cotuit starter Matt Murray (Georgia Southern) and Falmouth’s Taylor Wall (Rice), Murray faced all nine Commodores in the top of the second while Wall and Falmouth reliever Rob Chamra (NC State) had to start on a second lap around the Cotuit order.
Falmouth’s Matt Skole (Georgia Tech) trotted in from third as Cotuit catcher Curt Casali’s (Vanderbilt) low throw down to second on a first-and-third steal attempt by Barrett Barnes (Texas Tech) skipped into center field. Murray walked in the second run before Nick Martini (Kansas State) cleared the bases with a double up the right-center field gap.
Facing an early 5-0 deficit for the second straight night, Kettleers hitters were able to be selective in their half of the second as Wall walked five of the first six batters he faced. Zach Cone (Georgia) landed a three-run single into right field and Paul Hoilman (East Tennessee St.) drilled an RBI-double.
“We weren’t going to help him out when they were struggling to find the zone, but as soon as they gave us something we could handle, we were jumping on it,” Hoilman said.
Neither starter factored in the decision as Chamra (0-1) took the loss and Cotuit’s David Colvin (1-0, Pomona-Pitzer) picked up the win. Wall lasted an inning and one-third and was charged with Cotuit’s first six runs. He walked six and struck out three. Just one of Falmouth’s five runs off Murray in two innings was earned.
Colvin spelled Murray with a pair of perfect innings. A.J. Achter (Michigan St.) and Brooks Pinckard (Baylor) followed out of Cotuit’s bullpen before Kyle McMillen (Kent St.) came on for the two-inning save (1).
Chamra lasted two and two-thirds innings. He walked two and struck out one. Matt Summers (UC Irvine) took the Commodores through the eight inning and Nick Brown (Iowa) pitched the ninth.
Falmouth threatened by loading the bases in the sixth inning, but the Kettleers were able to execute the hidden ball trick and pull Falmouth’s Andrew Susac (Oregon St.) off third. Third baseman Hoilman said the Kettleers discussed the play in a preceding mound visit and alerted the home plate umpire that they might attempt it. Even then, the umpiring crew missed Hoilman’s tag, but overturned the call after a conference.
“We were just hoping they’d be lackadaisical out there and decided we’d go and try to steal an out if we could,” Hoilman said.
“That just shut their momentum down and put it back on us,” Hyams said.
The Kettleers also turned an inning-ending double play in the third to leave a runner stranded on third base.
Barnes went 4-for-4 to lead the Commodores’ offense, which pounded out 13 hits. He also stole two bases.
Hoilman, Cone, and Kevin Patterson (Auburn) accounted for Cotuit’s three hits.
“We’ve got a good team and everybody in the dugout knows that,” Hoilman said. “It’s just a matter of time before we start clicking together in the lineup and hitting it as a whole.”
The Kettleers have Tuesday off before traveling to Brewster on Wednesday for a 5 p.m. game.