By Clara Richards | Washington University in St. Louis 

The Ketts set the tone of the game early, with lead off hitter Tommy Troy (Stanford) flicking a fastball to center field and two-hole CJ Kayfus (Miami) following it up with another single deep into center field. But the Ketts closed out the inning with three back-to-back outs, leaving a Troy stranded on third. 

Harrison Cohen, Cotuit Kettleers vs Hyannis Harbor Hawks, July 12, 2022 in Cotuit, Ma. (Photo/Alysa Rubin)

Harrison Cohen (UVA) has had the most starts of any Ketts player currently on the roster, and he took the mound for the high-profile game that would determine the top seed of the West Division. He entered with a 2.27 ERA, having pitched 31.2 innings. He allowed the first runner to reach with a double, but he also left a runner stranded at third after a double play and ground out. 

But the Harbor Hawks struck first, getting two runs on an error from the third baseman that sailed over the glove of Kayfus in the third inning. The Ketts managed to retaliate with one run of their own in the fourth — after three hits in a row, a four-pitch walk from Troy brought the lead to one run. But a ground out forced the close of the inning with the bases loaded. 

Once again, the former Kettleer Mitch Jebb (Michigan State) hit a deadly shot into the center field trees to bring home a bases-clearing 3 RBI home run. On one out in the fourth, Cohen struggled to avoid the bats, allowing three back-to-back hits before another double play ended the inning for him.  That would end Cohen’s outing, having seen 21 batters and allowing three earned runs. 

Matt Joyce (Coastal Carolina) entered in the fifth for his first outing for the Ketts. He pitched 2.0 innings, letting up one earned run. “It was awesome,” he said about the experience of playing on the Cape for the first time. “That’s another thing. I was just so excited. It’s just really good to be back. I was hurt for about half the season and sitting on the sidelines and I just really wanted to get back out there.” 

The Ketts were able to drive in two more runs in the seventh and eighth innings, driving in a run on a hit-by-pitch and a hit from Kayfus. Ultimately, though, the Ketts weren’t able to make up the damage let up by the home run and error that collectively put up five runs in the first four innings. Cotuit concluded the evening in a 7-3 deficit to a long chat from head coach Mike Roberts, having lost the battle for first place of the West Division. They only trailed the Harbor Hawks by one hit. 

Reporter’s Notebook: Takeaways from the game

By Joe Pratt | Baylor University 

Matt Joyce (Coastal Carolina) is one of the newest additions to the Kettleers’ pitching staff. When Harrison Cohen (University of Virginia) completed 4 innings, it was Joyce’s job to patch the wound of a 5-1 deficit to Hyannis. 

Joyce lasted 2 frames, allowing an earned run on 3 hits. The first batter he faced reached on an error with the next stroking a single to put runners on the corners. Joyce then managed to force a key double play while sacrificing one run. The last batter of the fifth inning Matt Joyce fanned for an inning-ending strikeout. 

“When I got out there, I just sat back on the mound and I just took it all in and looked at all the fans. Just kind of just tried to breathe and stuff like that and wasn’t really my first college outing. It was like ‘I’ve been there before’. So definitely a little nerve wracking at first, but settling in was just fine for me.”

At Coastal, Joyce pitched 24 innings in each of his first two years there. But a mid-season shoulder injury sidelined the right hander for the ‘22 season. 

“I had all the support behind me and just strengthening everything around it was the biggest thing for me,” Joyce said, “the summer was a grind but it was good.”

The Massachusetts native from Braintree is anything but new to the Cape. His family spends summers in Chatham and just a few weeks ago, Matt received the call to join the Kettleers. 

“I just got off my boat, and I got a call. And I’ve been going to Cape games my whole life. So I was just ecstatic to get a call and my family and my parents come up every game, and it really is just like a dream come true.”