Wareham, MA- The Cotuit Kettleers left Spillane Field with one crucial point after a 1-1 tie with the Wareham Gatemen. 28 games into the season, this was the Kettleers’ first tie of the season. The two teams combined to produce just seven hits and didn’t commit an error in a pitchers’ duel. Despite not picking up two points with a win, head coach Mike Roberts was happy to come away with a point on Sunday night. He said, “Nobody likes a tie but we just needed to get outside of the loss column. Right now we are in a real battle to get that second playoff spot in the West Divison.”
Moments that mattered:
Rogers, Kuncl limit Wareham damage in middle innings
Dalton Rogers (Southern Miss) made his third start of the summer. The southpaw walked five batters over three innings but limited the damage to just one run. Over the first two innings, Rogers allowed just one baserunner. In the third inning, he ran into quick trouble. Two walks and a balk put two runners in scoring positions with no outs. Rogers was able to hold the Gatemen to one run with two strikeouts and a sacrifice fly.
Trevor Kuncl (George Washington) relieved Rogers in the fourth inning. Kuncl’s first two batters both reached base. Noah Bridges (UNC Wilmington) helped Kuncl produce a scoreless frame. The right fielder snagged a blooper near the right field line, and quickly fired a throw to first to double off the runner. In the fifth inning, Brides combined with Ryan Ritter (Kentucky) on a relay to retire a runner trying to come home on a one-out double. The right-handed pitcher finished his day with a 1-2-3 sixth inning.
Gold ties game in the 7th
Despite consistent hard contact, the Kettleers struggled to find much grass through the first six innings. Cotuit was scoreless and down one headed to the seventh. Luke Gold (Boston College) quickly erased that zero in the seventh. After five foul balls, Gold sent a no-doubt home run over the Cotuit bullpen behind the left field fence to even the game at one. The homer was Gold’s fifth of the summer, a team high. The 2021 Cape League All-Star also leads the Kettleers with 20 RBI.
“I was just trying to stay up the middle against the lefty with the ball tailing away from me. I was just trying to stay in my legs and it was lucky that he hung a change up there and I put a good swing on it,” said Gold.
Defense, Cohen keep game squared over last three frames
Harrison Cohen (George Washington) entered the game in the seventh inning of a tie game. Cohen started his night with a 1-2-3 frame. Wareham started the eighth inning with a single. The leadoff runner was erased on a beautiful double play. Second basemen Eric Brown Jr. (Coastal Carolina) made a diving grab on a ground ball and flipped it to Ritter, who leaped over a sliding runner and unleashed a bullet to first to complete a 4-6-3 double play. Cohen ended the game in a 1-1 tie with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. Cohen hasn’t allowed a run over his last 5.2 innings pitched.
Roberts said, “Your pitching is only as good as your defense and tonight was one of the most enjoyable defensive games in my 45-50 years of coaching. I saw some plays that were Major League caliber and maybe even above. I think the pitching was good and the defense was fantastic, which made the pitching even better.”
Notables:
Rogers: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 6 K, 1 R
Kuncl: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 K, 0 R
Cohen: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 3 K, 0 R
Gold: 1-4, HR
Up Next: The Kettleers will be back on the road to Hyannis tomorrow night. Cotuit currently leads the Patriot Cup series 3-1. First pitch will be at 6:00 PM from McKeon Park.