Falmouth, MA – “They just compete” said a very happy Coach Mike Roberts of his team’s effort from Saturday’s game at Falmouth. The Kettleers mashed 20 hits and put up 16 runs en route to a 16-6 romping of the Falmouth Commodores. The Cotuit lineup was on fire, scoring in all but two innings and never taking the foot off the gas pedal. Six different Kettleers recorded multiple hits, including three that notched four hit games. The Kettleers seem to be peaking at the right time, winning their fourth straight win as the playoff push continues.
Moments that mattered:
Kettleers strike first
With two outs in the bottom of the first, Ryan Ritter (Kentucky) worked a walk to extend the inning and bring up Eric Brown (Coastal Carolina). Brown got into a two-strike count before belting his fourth homerun of the year. “I was a little late on the first two pitches, then he hung me one on the third and I did not miss it” said an ecstatic Brown. The two-run shot to dead center put Cotuit up 2-0, giving the Ketts an early cushion in the biggest game of the season thus far.
The early game barrage continued for Cotuit, as the Kettleers put up two more two-out runs in the top of the third. Ritter got things started for the Ketts again, this time with a single up the middle. Brown then followed up with a single of his own to bring up Noah Bridges (UNC-Wilmington). “Big-hit-Bridges” lived up to his nickname, finding a hole between the second baseman and right fielder to score Ritter to exrtend the Kettleers lead to 3-1. With runners on first and third Brett Roberts (Florida State) found another barrel, driving in Brown and giving the Ketts their fourth run of the game.
Falmouth puts up three to get back in game
The Kettleers had Falmouth on the ropes early, with a 4-1 lead headed into the bottom of the third. The Commodores would battle back however, scoring three runs on three hits to knot the game at four. The Falmouth runs were produced by a Kris Armstrong single and a Michael Handal double. The early action in the game would set up an epic series of events in the middle innings.
Cotuit dominates the middle innings to pull away
The Kettleers scored runs in four consecutive innings to give themselves a 12-4 cushion. In the fourth, Jace Grady (Dallas Baptist) continued his hot streak by blasting homer to dead center. “Staying focused and having a good approach” was the key for Grady tonight, as the outfielder says he is “seeing the ball well”.
In the fifth, Brown and Bridges got things started with back-to-back one out singles to bring up Brett Roberts. The Florida State product found a hole on the right side of the infield, and chaos ensued. Brown and Bridges would both score, and Roberts flew all the way around the bases thanks to a multitude of Falmouth throwing errors to complete a little league homer. “I was just really tired” said Roberts after scampering all the way around the bases.
The blitz would continue in the sixth, as a Jace Grady single and Ryan Ritter double would produce yet another run. Eric Brown would promptly single to score Ritter to keep tacking the runs on.
The seventh would prove to be fruitful yet again for the Kettleers, as Matt Donlan (UConn), Brett Roberts, and Jace Grady would string together hits to produce two more runs. It was an impressive stretch for the Cotuit offense, and certainly a good thing for the pitching staff. The Kettleers bullpen was able to shut down the Falmouth offense over the stretch, guaranteeing that the Cotuit lead would remain intact.
Notables:
Jace Grady (Dallas Baptist): 4-6, 3 RBI, 3 R, HR
Ryan Ritter (Kentucky): 2-4, 1 RBI, 3 R
Eric Brown (Coastal Carolina): 4-6, 2 RBI, HR, 3 R
Brett Roberts (Florida State): 4-5, 2 RBI, 3 R
Matt Donlan (UConn): 2-5, 2 RBI, 2 R
Up next:
The Kettleers will take on Falmouth again tomorrow, this time back at Lowell Park. The game will be played at 4:30 PM.