By Ben Fischer
University of Maryland
July 1, 2018
COTUIT – While center fielder Beau Brundage (Portland) stole the show during the Cotuit Kettleers’ 4-3 win with a walkoff home run, the Kettleers were put in position to beat the Chatham Anglers by starter Anthony Veneziano (Coastal Carolina). Veneziano, making his second official start in Cotuit, allowed the powerful Chatham lineup just three hits a walk and one earned in 5 ⅓ innings.
Veneziano success came mainly from pounding the strike zone. In his season debut against Y-D, Veneziano lasted just three innings and threw just 29 of 47 pitches for strikes. Sunday against Chatham, he threw 44 of his 68 pitches for strikes.
Anthony Veneziano fires a pitch during Cotuit’s 4-3 win over Y-D on June 17, 2018
“I was just trying to get ahead with strike one,” Veneziano said. “I was able to throw my slider for a strike today, which was a plus and I was trying to get guys out as quick as possible.”
Veneziano also picked off one of the baserunners he allowed, ending the second inning by catching Y-D designated hitter Drew Mendoza (Florida State) off first base.
Despite being left-handed, Veneziano is not known for his pickoff move to first base. The southpaw did not pick off any runners this season at Coastal Carolina and said that his teammates at school call his move “the worst in the world.” Veneziano, who estimated that he had not picked off a runner since middle school. added that picking a runner off felt “phenomenal.”
Veneziano said that he, along with the rest of the staff, had been working on holding and picking off runners. The work has showed as the Kettleers have three pickoffs in the last two games, with one each for Veneziano, Joey Walsh (Boston College) and John Baker (Ball State).
After losing his last scheduled start to fog against Chatham on June 24, Veneziano said that he felt excited to be back on the mound and happy with how he pitched.
“It felt really good to be out there” Veneziano said. “I knew if I went out there and competed I could give my team a chance to win and I feel like I did that.”