Matt Liberman
Syracuse University
July 20, 2017
Bourne – Terrin Vavra (Minnesota) is emerging as a threat for Cotuit just when they need him the most.
After converting in two at-bats Wednesday night following a pinch-hit substitution, Vavra continued to swing the bat well on Thursday night
Terrin Vavra (Minnesota) led all Cotuit hitters with 2 hits, finishing 2-4 in Thursday’s 5-3 loss against Bourne.
at Doran Park. In Cotuit’s (16-15-1) 5-3 loss to Bourne (17-15), Vavra finished 2-4 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI. Thursday’s loss bumps Cotuit down to third in the West Division. Warehman, Cotuit and Falmouth all have 33 points, but are separated by run differential where they follow in order in the two, three, and four spots. The Braves now lead the division by half a game.
As Cotuit has slid though, Vavra has risen. The infielder raised his batting average above .300 for the first time all season in the loss at Bourne and is currently riding a season high in on-base percentage and slugging percentage as well. He was the only Kettleer with two hits in the game.
“It’s the opportunity to play,” Cotuit head coach Mike Roberts said. “It took him month to get through a concussion. It’s nothing different (in his play).”
Roberts has depended on Vavra in crucial moments since the concussion subsided. On Wednesday night, at Lowell Park, Roberts called on his infielder in the bottom of the fifth inning. Down 4-3, with no outs and the bases loaded, Roberts subbed Vavra in to pinch-hit for Zack Kone (Duke).
“One thing that Terrin brings to the ball club,” Roberts said, “is he puts the ball in play. I wanted the ball in play.”
Vavra rewarded his coach’s decision, knocking a double down the left field line and driving in two runs to give Cotuit its first lead in the ball game, en route to an 11-4 win.
Vavra has only 6 strikeouts the entire season, the lowest of any hitter on the team, and five of those strikeouts came within the first five games he played in. Before a strikeout Thursday night, Vavra had gone seven consecutive games and 12 plate appearances without a strikeout.
“(I) just try to put the bat on the ball and anything can happen.”
Vavra hit in the cleanup spot against Bourne, continuously rising through the ranks of the Cotuit lineup. Roberts loves players that put the ball in play. It doesn’t matter if they can hit home runs every night. As long as they can advance runners they can hit in the four-hole.
“It’s awesome to get the opportunities,” Vavra said. “See the ball, hit the ball.”
Game Notes
- Greyson Jenista (Wichita State) leads Cotuit in batting average for the first time all season. He overtook Griffin Conine on Thursday. The last time Conine did not lead the team or be tied for the lead was on June 20, when Kone led the team with a .526 average and Conine was batting .500.
- Wareham sits 29 runs ahead of Cotuit in run differential and Cotuit is 14 ahead of Falmouth.
- Jason Bilous (Coastal Carolina) started Thursday’s game against Bourne. This marked his fourth appearance against Bourne, the most for a Cotuit starter against a single opponent.
- Only three players remain over .300 on the season for Cotuit: Jenista, Conine and Vavra.