By Ben Gainsboro, Stetson University
Photos by Josh Muir, Endicott College
July 27th, 2019
What Happened: Cotuit (19-16-4) topped Chatham (23-13-2) 10-3 on the road for their second straight victory.
One Cheer for: Matthew Mervis (Duke)
It’s almost unfair, as it seems that every time Matthew Mervis has a big game, he is overshadowed by another performer. The guy has been good all season long, whether it be on the mound or the batter’s box. He even had an all-star appearance to show for it.
In this game, it was his bat that brought the fireworks, as he contributed four hits (all singles) on route to a 3 RBI game, his second time this season eclipsing at least 3 RBI in a game. His hits came in the third, fourth, sixth, and ninth innings respectively, and the two times he was put down in the game were both hard hit balls to the outfield. The big lefty is now hitting .316 on the season with 16 RBI.
Not to be forgotten, Mervis also closed out the game on the bump for the Kettleers, pitching the 8th and 9th innings of action. He had a huge lead, and thus didn’t earn the save, but he still sat down two Anglers via the strikeout and only allowed one hit. His ERA now sits at 3.52 on the year.
He will continue to battle for playing time with uber-talented Casey Schmitt (San Diego State), as they play the same position, but Mervis figures to be a key cog down the stretch for Cotuit.
Two Cheers for: Jackson Wolf (West Virginia)
Though not Wolf’s best start on the season, the southpaw remains one of the most reliable Cotuit starting arms.
Jackson Wolf rifles one home vs. Chatham
Wolf’s first inning in this one had a potential to get ugly, as Chatham had runners on the corners with just one out. Wolf bared down, though, and was able to get both Jorge Arenas (Stetson) to strike out before sitting down Kendrick Calilao (Florida) via a groundout to escape the jam.
Chatham would strike for two against Wolf in his four innings of work, but the two allowed runs were well-countered by his six strikeouts.
So far in 26.2 innings pitched, Wolf is averaging just over a strikeout an inning, as he has registered 27.
Wolf’s command was a little shoddy in this one, as he allowed six free passes to Angler hitters, but his ability to battle and limit the damage was a major reason Cotuit was able to escape with a marquee road win at Veterans Field.
Three Cheers for: Nick Gonzales (New Mexico State)
Who else?
It’s getting absurd talking about what this guy does on a day in and day out basis. Go to any Kettleer game and you will see a slew of scouts there, jotting in their notebooks and staring in awe at this second baseman from New Mexico State.
All he did in this game was smack three hits, raising his batting average to .348. That is not quite tops in the CCBL, but he trails the leader, Wyatt Young (Yarmouth-Dennis) by just four points.
Another game, another Nick Gonzales blast
One of those hits was his third triple of the season, and his two other hits resulted in a total of three RBI on the day, raising his total to 31. He still trails Hunter Goodman (Hyannis) by four, but also missed a few games with an injury a few weeks back.
Whatever way you look at it, whichever part of the field he is hitting the ball too, and whoever he is facing, the fact remains the same: Nick Gonzales is one of the best hitters on the Cape and has the attention of every opposing manager moving forward as we enter playoff season.
What’s Next? Cotuit (19-16-4) returns home to face off with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox (21-16-3) at Lowell Park on Sunday. First pitch in that game is set for 5:00 P.M.