By Will Kraus, Bates College
Photos by Josh Muir, Endicott College
Video by Jacob Cohen, Boston University
July 9, 2019
“Today we hit a lot of baseballs hard, we just couldn’t find enough holes.” said Coach Roberts following the 6-4 defeat to the Bourne Braves on Tuesday night at Lowell Park.
It was a game in which the ball left the park before many even knew the game had begun as Jud Fabian (Florida) smashed one out to left field to put Bourne up 1-0 on the very first pitch of the game in the top of the first inning.
Bourne wouldn’t relinquish the lead all night despite Cotuit’s best efforts to retaliate.
Bourne’s Fabian really had himself a game as he put the Braves in a commanding lead in the eighth inning with a three run homer that put Cotuit down 6-1.
Cotuit didn’t make it easy for Bourne, however, as the Kettleers rallied in the bottom half of the ninth to work the bases loaded with just one out.
Up stepped designated hitter Oraj Anu (Kentucky) from the left side of the plate.
Oraj was all smiles after his homer
Anu had already made quite the impression on the game, scoring Cotuit’s lone run to that point on a 377 foot bomb in the third inning that went far into Lowell Park’s woods in left.
The homer came from the right side of the plate as the switch-hitting Anu crushed a baseball through the early July evening to get Cotuit on the board.
Anu was just the man for the Kettleers to have up in the pressure scenario as he had also sent rockets to shortstop and an inning prior nearly put a ball over Bourne’s center fielder’s head.
It was just as Roberts said for Anu as he seemed to keep hitting the ball hard right at defenders.
Anu wasted no time in the ninth, tattooing a ball into the left-center field gap that would clear the bases and suddenly bring up the game-tying run.
Unfortunately Anu appeared to injure his hamstring rounding first and Richard Brereton
Anu stands at first following his bases clearing hit in the ninth
(Emory) would come in to pinch run.
“He had an incredible game.” said Coach Roberts who also wished for Anu to feel better postgame.
Lowell Park was still abuzz though as fans, players, coaches, and even scouts waited with bated breath as Cotuit looked poised to complete the come back with Adam Oviedo (Oral Roberts) coming to the plate.
Instead a pop-out to first would bring up who else but the 79 game on-base streak Nick Gonzales (New Mexico State), whose streak was coincidentally in jeopardy.
Gonzales worked a full count and hit a laser labeled for the gap in right-center, but it unluckily hung enough for the right-fielder to make the grab and end the game.
Gonzales nearly extends his on-base streak
When asked about Gonzales’ on base streak coming to an end Coach Roberts had a fascinating response, nonchalantly comparing Gonzales to a baseball legend.
“That’s baseball.” said Roberts. “It’s like Joe Dimaggio, he went 56 straight games with a hit and one game some guys made some great plays on him and then he went 19 more. Nick will be fine with that short, compact swing. He’s the best lead-off hitter that I’ve seen in a long time.”
Roberts also had high praise for Evan Justice (North Carolina State) who pitched a scoreless three innings to keep Cotuit within striking distance with the score at 2-1 over the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings.
“Evan Justice today did just a fantastic job. That was his best outing yet.” Roberts
Justice slings it home against Bourne
commented.
“I was very pleased with the comeback. It doesn’t surprise me at all. We’re an excellent club.” said Roberts finally of his team’s resiliency.
It was yet another in a season full of examples of Cotuit’s refusal to quit despite the score, something that bodes well for the Kettleers as we head deeper into July.
Next Game
The Kettleers (12-11-2) host the Falmouth Commodores (12-9-1) at 5 PM on Wednesday at Lowell Park.