Photo by Alysa Rubin
By James Middleton | West Chester University
With a loss to the Bourne Braves in the final game of the regular season, the Ketts would fall into the 2 seed for the 2022 Cape League playoffs. In the first round of the playoffs Cotuit will play host to a familiar face in the Hyannis Harbor Hawks.
The Harbor Hawks fell in the playoff seeding with a loss to the Bourne Braves in their final game of the season. After having a grip on the top spot in the western division for a majority of the month of July, Hyannis slipped into third place with a record of 4-6 in their last ten. Leading the Harbor Hawks is the duo of Mitch Jebb (Michigan State) and Rikuu Nishida (Oregon). Jebb has put together an exceptional season for the Harbor Hawks. Throughout the regular season he hit for a .356 AVG with 26 stolen bases in the leadoff spot. Jebb also brought in 22 Harbor Hawks over the course of the season. Nishida, while he is known for his glove, is no slouch at the plate. He hit for a .286 AVG with 25 stolen bags for Hyannis. With Jebb leading off the lineup and Nishida bringing up the rear, the pair was a force to be reckoned with at the plate and on the base paths for opposing teams.
The Ketts and the Hawks met six times throughout the 2022 regular season with Couit having the edge — a record of 3-2-1 in the season series. Both teams brought offensive firepower to the table when they squared off. In the first contest of the season the Ketts brought home the win with a 8-2 victory over Hyannis. After a 3-1 win for Cotuit in the beginning of July, which would be the lowest scoring game between the two teams, the rivals met again ten days later where they tied with a score of 6-6. Cotuit lost their first game to Hyannis at McKeon Park where Hyannis walked away with a 8-3 victory. The final two matchups between the Western competitors was a home and home series. In the first game, Cotuit won by a 7-5 margin, this would give Cotuit first place in the division for the time being. The second game of the home and home Hyannis took back the top spot in the division with a 7-3 victory over Cotuit. The Ketts will have to bring the bats when they face Hyannis tonight at Lowell Park as they look to take a 1-0 series lead against the Harbor Hawks.
The broadcasting team compiled game notes ahead of tonight’s matchup. Check back for a recap and results.