Matt Liberman
Syracuse University
July 23, 2017
Pre-Game Kettle Talk • Post-Game Kettle Talk
COTUIT – Christian Demby (N.C. State) proved why he could be one of Cotuit’s most dangerous weapons come playoff time.
In a 5-2 protested loss to Chatham (17-18) on Sunday night at Lowell Park, Demby threw three innings without giving up a base runner and struck out three. Cotuit’s (17-16-1) loss drops them into second place, one point back of Bourne (18-16). Cotuit head coach Mike Roberts protested the decision to end the game after eight innings. The umpires called it due to darkness, but Roberts is protesting to the league that it was still light enough to play the ninth inning. Until anything is overturned, the decision stands.
Christian Demby (NC State) threw 3 scoreless innings in Cotuit’s 5-2 loss against Chatham.
Down 5-0, Demby entered the contest in the fifth inning and immediately faced tough opposition. Pitching against Chatham’s biggest bats, Demby mixed his pitches and dominated the strike zone to shut down the heart of the order.
This three-inning relief appearance comes just four days after Demby failed to get out of the first inning against Hyannis in his first start of the season. The righty made it through just two-thirds of an inning, giving up three runs on two hits and surrendering his only walk of the season.
“I just had to change my mindset back,” Demby said. “Back to the reliever mindset.”
“The next day he walked up to me and said ‘I’m on the board tonight,’” Cotuit pitching coach Jonathan King said. “I didn’t have any worries.”
Aside from that outing, Demby has been lights out this season. Subtracting that 0.2 innings, Demby has given up just two runs, no walks and just five hits in 13 innings.
He returned to his groove against Chatham with three straight 1-2-3 innings, and appears to be one of Cotuit’s top options out of the bullpen moving forward.
“He’s done nothing but throw the ball well,” King said. “There’s no reason why he wouldn’t be in there in any situation that we need him.”
Moving forward, Cotuit has one of the more favorable schedules in the league. Aside from back-to-back contests with Y-D (22-11-1), the Kettleers still play at Hyannis (12-20-3) and Harwich (10-24-1), the two worst teams in the league.
Cotuit’s next game is Tuesday, July 25, at Brewster (15-18-2). The game begins at 5:00 p.m.