By: Nick Solari, Writing Intern, Quinnipiac University
July 15, 2013
(Kettle Talk with Alexa Galloway PREGAME and POSTGAME)
(Video Highlights by Connor Sullivan – GAME and DIEKROEGER)
HARWICH – Sometimes in the sport of baseball things just don’t go your way. The Kettleers came into tonight’s game on a three-game win streak, their second longest of the season. They were sitting at the top of the Western Division standings, and staff ace Chris Ellis was set to take mound. Things were looking up.
Unfortunately, nothing went their way.
Cotuit generated only five total base runners, made two errors, and were shutout for only the third time this season by the Mariners by the final score of 6-0 on Monday.
“Their three left-handed pitchers dominated us tonight,” Kettleers coach Mike Roberts said after the game. “They really did a nice job, and had us back on our heels all night long. You’ve got to give them credit.”
Dillon Peters (Texas) got the win for Harwich. He threw the first 7.0 shutout innings, gave up only two hits, and struck out five. Ian Tompkins (Western Kentucky) then threw a scoreless eighth, and Jake Drossner (Maryland) tossed a clean ninth.
Cotuit had only three hits on the night, and were only three hitters over the minimum at the conclusion of the game.
“You have to swing the bat, and I told our guys that,” Roberts said. “You can’t go into every at-bat digging yourself into a two-strike hole, especially lefty on lefty like so many of our hitters did.”
Kevin Bradley (Clemson), Logan Ratledge (NC State), and Jake Fincher (NC State) accounted for the three hits. The next Cotuit batter grounded into a 4-6-3 double-play after both Bradley and Ratledge’s base hit.
After the Kettleers first three hitters were retired with ease in the top of the first, Harwich leadoff hitter and speedster Aaron Barbosa (Northwestern) walked on five pitches. He stole second and third base, then scored the first run of the game on cleanup hitter Ben Moore’s (Alabama) ground out to third base. Moore lined a ball down the line and Danny Diekroeger (Stanford) dove to his left, making a spectacular stab at the ball. He stood up and made a strong throw to first to get the out, but the damage was done.
The Mariners extended the lead to 3-0 when Mitch Morales (Florida Atlantic) singled in Brendon Hayden (Virginia Tech) and Gunnar Heidt (Charleston) in the bottom half of the second.
Moore and Derek Fisher (Virginia) were responsible for the other two Harwich RBI’s.
Heidt was the only player from either side with a multiple-hit game. He was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs.
Ellis’ night only lasted 3.2 innings. He gave up four hits, three runs (two earned), walked three, and struck out six. The Kettleers made two errors in the game, as well.
“I felt pretty good throwing the ball and hitting my spots,” Ellis said. “There’s nothing you can do about the errors. You just have to trust the guys behind you, and I still do. I know they’ll go out there and do their job tomorrow.”
Roberts talked about his defense after the game.
“We’ve probably made ten errors here in two games,” Roberts said. “We made four last time, and we probably made six today, even though they didn’t count some of them on the board. Defense is confidence, and I guess we are going to find out if we have the right people during these next couple of games.”
Galli Cribbs Jr. (Clarendon College) entered the game in the third inning as a defensive replacement for Nolan Clark (Concordia). Cribbs Jr. had not caught since he was in high school, and was the Kettleers every day shortstop for the first half of the season. He threw out Hayden trying to steal second base in the fifth inning.
With the win Harwich moves to 15-13 on the year, and Cotuit falls to 17-11. The Kettleers take on Bourne tomorrow night at 5 p.m. at Lowell Park. Jared Walsh is schedule to get the start on the mound.