Cotuit, MA – After an action packed fourth of July weekend, the Kettleers stumbled on Tuesday, mustering just four hits in a 5-2 loss to division foe Wareham. Despite a solid start from Jake Brooks (UCLA) and some gutsy pitching from a multitude of bullpen arms, Cotuit (6-7) couldn’t piece together enough hits to sustain any sort of rally. The game only lasted 7.5 innings due to lightning in the area and dark skies above Cotuit.
Coach Roberts praised his team’s resiliency, “They battled, and that’s all you want to do in summer baseball. We didn’t give in.” The Kettleers sit a game under .500 and are now locked in a three-way tie for second place in the west with Falmouth and Wareham.
Moments that mattered:
Wareham jumps out to an early lead
With two on and two out in the top of the second, Wareham outfielder Tres Gonzalez laced a ball into left center. The ball was misplayed and ended up costing Cotuit, as two unearned runs crossed the plate to give Wareham a 2-0 lead. That score would remain until the fourth when Justin Williams led off the top half with a no-doubt homer to center field. Now down 3-0, the pressure was on the Kettleers bullpen to keep the game within striking distance.
Brown gets Cotuit on the board
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, the Kettleers were in desperate need of a hit to get the offense going. Eric Brown (Coastal Carolina) stepped up to the plate and did just that, crushing a solo home run over the wall in left-center. “Eric always gives a boost to the lineup” said coach Roberts, who has praised brown for being a “coach on the field.” The homer was Cotuit’s sole offensive highlight of the day.
Cotuit unable to put together timely hits
Scoring chances were at a premium for Cotuit on Tuesday evening, and when they did arise, the Kettleers were unable to string together the hits needed to complete a comeback. Cotuit left seven runners on base on the night, most notably leaving two on base in the bottom of the sixth. The Kettleers loaded the bases with just one out, and were only able to scratch one run across on a sac fly by Luke Gold (Boston College).
Coach Roberts noted that the team needed to be more aggressive on Tuesday. “We definitely took too many pitches with runners in scoring position,” said Roberts, who preaches aggressiveness in the box. “We just need to swing the bat more often, and if we do that we will score more runs.” Gold and Brett Roberts (Florida State) both made attempts to jump on a first pitch fastball with runners on, but were stonewalled by the Wareham defense.
Notables:
Brown: 2-2, HR
Brooks: 4.2 IP, 4K, 1ER
Max Gieg (Boston College): 3 IP, 4K, 1ER
Up Next: The Kettleers will stay at home on Wednesday to take on the Chatham Anglers for the first time this season. The game will be at 5:00 PM back at Lowell Park. Chatham is 5-6-2 on the season and is coming off a loss to Y-D on Tuesday.