By Courtney Swift
Kettleers Media Intern
July 16, 2012
COTUIT – An altered lineup played for the Kettleers Monday as they lost to the Orleans Firebirds 4-2. Kettleers’ Patrick Biondi (Michigan) and Jacob May (Coastal Carolina) got the day off to rest injuries, and it was up to some bench players to make the difference.
Five bullpen pitchers took the mound for Cotuit to get through the game. Joe Broussard (LSU) got the start for the Kettleers throwing 2 2/3 innings. He had two strikeouts and two walks on the night before the relief pitchers got to work. Ryan Connolly (Coastal Carolina), Jacob Stone (Weatherford JC), Dan Slania (Notre Dame), and Brandon Bixler (Florida Gulf Coast) all threw innings
Cael Brockmeyer got Cotuit on board with a solo HR. / Photo by Joe Cavanaugh
Cael Brockmeyer (CSU Bakersfield) got Cotuit on the board in the second. He hit a line drive homer over the left field fence off a first pitch fastball to put the Kettleers on top 1-0. Brockmeyer went 3-4 on the night and scored a run while throwing out two base stealers on the night from behind the plate. “I’ve been working a lot on the quick release,” Brockmeyer said. “Today I was fortunate to get it in a good spot right at the right time.”
Orleans got the run back in its half of the fourth after their cleanup hitter Conrad Gregor (Vanderbilt) hit is own solo shot. The score was notched at one until the seventh inning when the Firebirds broke open the game against Cotuit’s Jacob Stone. “Unfortunately just a couple bad pitches in a couple key situations,” Brockmeyer said. “They took advantage of it and got the opportunity.” Stone gave up two runs on four hits to begin the seventh without recording an out. Orleans lead Cotuit 3-1 at the stretch.
The Kettleers have been down before, but have had the “never quit” attitude all season. The same was true Monday when they were down to their last three outs of the game. Mike Ford (Princeton) reached on a fielders choice with two away. “We never give up,” Brockmeyer said. “We’ve got great group of guys that get along really well. When the going gets tough we really rally around each other”
With two outs, Brockmeyer and Tony Kemp (Vanderbilt) both singled to score Ford and put runners at second and third, but the rally wasn’t quite enough. Jacob Valdez (San Jose State) grounded to second for the final out of the game.
The Kettleers have lost two in a row and fall to 15-12 on the season. They are off Tuesday but are back in action at Red Wilson Field against the Y-D Red Sox (16-11) Wednesday at 5 p.m. For more post game interviews visit, Official Kettleers of YouTube.