By Jon Mettus
Syracuse University

July 24, 2016

WAREHAM — The Kettleers (12-23-1) squandered a four-run lead and lost to the Wareham Gatemen (19-14-3), 6-5, at Spillane Field on Sunday. After a one-run start for Justin Hooper (UCLA), the bullpen surrendered five runs.

At the plate

The Kettleers saw the majority of their production come from two home runs. Jordan Pearce (Nevada) hit a three-run homer in the fourth and Jason Delay (Vanderbilt) hit a solo shot in the fifth.

Pearce’s landed by the flagpole behind right field and was his second in as many games. Pearce was 0-for-25 on the 12 games before Friday. Delay hit his dinger over the Cotuit bullpen in left field and it was his second of the year. It put Cotuit up 4-0 in the fifth.

Tim Susnara (Oregon) hit a single up the middle in the sixth inning to tie the game at five after the Gatemen took the lead.

Quinn Brodey (Stanford) was 3-for-5 with a run scored.

On the mound

Hooper lasted 4 2/3 innings in his final start of the season. He gave up three hits, one run and walked two batters. When Hooper left the game in the fifth inning after letting a runner score on a wild pitch.

The bullpen faltered, starting with Rio Gomez (Arizona). He gave up two singles then a double to let in two runs. Connor Simmons (Georgia Southern) walked the first two batters he faced before a single into right knocked in two more runs. Josh Roberson (UNC Wilmington) had to come in the game to get the final out of the inning and end a five-run fifth inning.

Roberson lasted 2 2/3 innings and did not give up a run. But Ryan Rigby (Mississippi State) followed and gave up the winning run in the eighth inning. He let the first three batters he faced reach base (single, error and hit-by-pitch) before a chopped single that went over first baseman Greyson Jenista’s (Wichita State) head pushed a run across.

Up next

After a day off, the Kettleers will host Bourne on Tuesday, July 26.