Eddie Park makes a diving catch in right field at Falmouth. (Photo by Alysa Rubin)

By Joe Pratt | Baylor University 

The Ketts wasted no time capitalizing Commodores’ pitching. C.J. Kayfus (Miami) attacked the first pitch from Falmouth right hander Joshua Roberge (Southern New Hampshire) who sailed Kayfus’ swinging bunt over the first baseman’s head for a lead-off single. The bases were filled up with no outs on a Tommy Troy (Stanford) walk and a Calvin Harris (Ole Miss) single. Cotuit took a 1-0 lead when Carter Trice (NC State) worked a full count base on balls and the bases remained juiced with none gone for Eddie Park (Stanford). Park reached out and poked one the other way to left which scored Tommy Troy. Hot bat Eddie Park reached the paths 4 times on Tuesday night. 

“I think the biggest thing was [when] I came up here, I was trying to make all these new adjustments,” Park said. “I was struggling a little bit. But I think what’s helped me find success is just sticking true to myself knowing what I’m good at and just expanding on that.”

Trotter Harlan (College of Charleston) chopped grounder brought home Harris from third, retired Park at second and Harlan beat out the throw at first to prevent a double play. Carter Trice advanced home on a wild pitch during Enrique Bradfield’s (Vanderbilt) at-bat. The Ketts jumped out to a 4-0 advantage as they hit around the lineup in the top-half of the first inning. 

“I think for the first time this year, more than one first,” coach Roberts said after the game. “‘Was that great to help us out?’ Obviously, it’s nice to get up tonight. We’ve kind of been looking at this team and I think we are getting better.”

Falmouth starter Joshua Roberge was replaced, and new arm Caleb Corbett (Louisville) took to the mound in the top of the third. The first batter he faced in Eddie Park earned a free pass to first with a lead-off walk. Park then snagged a stolen bag and took advantage of an error by the catcher and raced over to third. In a timely fashion, Enrique Bradfield sliced a ball into the glove of left fielder Jace Bohrofen (University of Arkansas) to bring home Eddie Park on a sacrifice fly. Carter Trice came around to score against the Commodores’ third thrower of the contest. Luke Malone (University of Texas-San Antonio) got ahead in the fourth with two quick outs before Trice’s line drive through the shortstop Alex Mooney (Duke). Trotter Harlan and Enrique Bradfield peppered Alex Mooney with two more smoked grounders through the infield, Harlan’s being an RBI knock that escorted Trice home. 

6 runs cashed in during the first 4 innings was enough to tally up the Ketts’ 23rd victory of the year by a score of 6-1. The only Commodores’ run was unearned after Patrick Roche reached on Cotuit’s line error in game 43 — Roche later scampered home on a 4-3 putout. 

In a combined effort, pitchers Joe Whitman (Purdue), Zach Chappell (University of North Florida), Cam Schuelke (College of Central Florida) and Ryan Bruno (Stanford) shut down the Commodores offensively. With his second start of the year, Whitman struck out 4 ‘Dores in his 3.2 IP, with just 3 hits allowed. Zach Chappell only gave up an unearned run and no hits in 1.1 IP. Cam Schuelke took care of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, and Ryan Bruno slammed the door with 3 Ks. 

The base running for the Kettleers was reminiscent of the first week of the season. Throughout the first 5 innings, the Ketts accumulated 7.

Cotuit can clinch the West division Wednesday night in the season finale. The Bourne Braves and Ketts are set to play their makeup game tomorrow. What was originally supposed to be game 43, the game was rained out and pushed to Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. 

Reporter’s Notebook: Takeaways from the game 

by Clara Richards | Washington University in St. Louis

Joseph Whitman against the Chatham Anglers. (Photo by Alysa Rubin)

• As other summer leagues wrap up, new additions are trickling into the Kettleers. Ryan Galanie (Wofford) is one of those players, a versatile infielder who has already played forty games in the NECL for North Adams earlier this summer. After closing out the season with the Steeple Cats, the infielder made the three and a half hour drive across the Bridge on Sunday, giving him two days to adjust to his new team before playing his first game with the Ketts.

“A lot of the better players in that league are coming over here,” Galanie said. “It’s awesome to see a lot of good players out here, nationally recognized. It wsa great out there, but it’s also really good out here.”

Gelanie averaged a .243 batting average with 31 RBIs, and he wasted no time in Cotuit, dinking a ball to right field for a base hit in his first at-bat in the Cape League. He was jammed up early in the count, but his ball found the gap and fell for a single.

The player also filled in at first base, easily melding in with the veteran players. “I really like the guys,” Galanie said. “They’ve been great to me, and since I got here, it’s been easy to fit in and play. And all the coaches have really helped me get accustomed to the playing style.”

• The Kettleers are current sitting in first place in a tightly packed West Division. Competitors Bourne beat the Hyannis Harbor Hawks tonight, but the standings are tight; Bourne’s victory against Hyannis means that there are currently three teams within two points of each other. Falmouth sits back at 42 points.

Everything comes to a head tomorrow at 4:30 in Cotuit, where Bourne and Cotuit will battle it out for first place of the West and the President’s Cup, awarded to the top-placed team in the league. With today’s victory, the Ketts can be no lower than second place in the West heading into the postseason. With a win or a tie against Bourne on Wednesday’s last regular season game, they will win first place in the division and face fourth placed Falmouth for their first playoff round. A tie would end in Cotuit’s favor, because they lead head-to-head matchups with Bourne 3-2. A loss against Bourne will push them to second place, where they’d play third place Hyannis Harbor Hawks. Either way, they will be guaranteed the home field advantage for their first playoff round.

They will be one of two teams who have lost the advantage of an off day before playoffs, with Monday’s home game rescheduled after the rain cancellation to Wednesday, August 3 at 4:30 p.m.