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2009
Cotuit Kettleers Game Recaps
... full
season stories
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Kettleers
use longball to top Brewster 5-3
story by Steve McCarthy
July 27, 2009
BREWSTER - As the third string on a roster with
All-Star catchers Cody Stanley (UNC-Wilmington) and
Cameron Rupp (Texas), Cotuit’s Zach Maggard
(Florida Southern) must make the most of his
opportunities. Maggard served as starting pitcher
Jake Buchanan’s battery mate Monday in
Brewster after recovering from a hamstring injury
and belted a two-run home run in the fourth inning
to give Cotuit an early 2-0 advantage en route to a
5-3 win.
“There was a guy on second, so I was just trying
to hit behind the runner first pitch,” Maggard
said. “I hit the one foul, so then I was sitting
dead red fastball again, and he threw it to me. I
got lucky that he threw it again. Most times you
don’t see two fastballs in a row, so I just turned
on it.” Maggard also gunned down an attempted base
stealer and advanced into scoring position twice
after a walk in the second inning and hit by pitch
in the eighth. He was pinch run for by Jeff Rowland
(Georgia Tech) while standing on second in the
eighth inning. Rowland would eventually score
Cotuit’s fifth run.
“I probably on one team have the three most
consistent catchers that I’ve probably ever had on
a club,” Cotuit manager Mike Roberts said.
“Between Stanley, Maggard, and Rupp, we are really
blessed with our catching situation.”
The win inched Cotuit (16-16-5) to within two points
of the Western Division leading Wareham Gatemen, and
one point behind second place Bourne. Brewster
(14-17-4) remains fourth in the Eastern Division.
Zach Cone (Georgia) provided a two run shot as well
in the fifth inning to support Buchanan. Cone’s
line drive was aided by a steady breeze to left
field and barely cleared to top of the fence.
Buchanan (3-1) did not improve his league leading
0.50 ERA with the win, as he allowed two earned runs
of the three that crossed during his seven inning
outing. He surrendered seven hits and struck out
six. Buchanan has walked one batter in his last
three starts.
“They hit a bunch of balls hard, but I guess right
at a bunch of guys,” Buchanan said. “That was
big for me to get some quick outs. The defense
played really well.” Buchanan relied more on his
defense than in previous starts with fewer
strikeouts. He kept Brewster hitters guessing with a
mix of off-speed pitches, and few balls left the
infield thanks to the middle infield tandem of
shortstop Brandon May (Alabama) and second baseman
Chris Bisson (Kentucky).
“I think we’ve somewhat settled on what our
infield is going to be now,” Roberts said. “It
is showing, and reaping some benefits for us, where
that’s been our Achilles heel all summer.”
Buchanan was relieved by closer Daniel Tillman
(Florida Southern) in the eighth inning after
rolling his ankle trying to beat Brewster’s Niko
Gallego (UCLA) to first base on a bunt that Gallego
dove into first on to beat the throw. Tillman earned
the two inning save (4) with a pair of perfect
innings. He struck out two and made quick work of
the heart of Brewster’s batting order. “That was
big, to see him come in the eighth there early,”
Buchanan said. “We pretty much 100 percent got it
nailed down for the win. He’s done good all year.
You can’t ask for much better.”
Casey Schmidt (San Diego) opposed Buchanan as
Brewster’s starting pitcher and gave up four runs
on eight hits through six innings. Sean Bierman
(Vanderbilt) pitched a scoreless eighth, and newly
acquired Kendal Volz (Baylor) allowed Cotuit’s
final run in two innings of work.
Brewster brought the game within a run in the
seventh inning on one swing of the bat by Harold
Martinez (Miami). Martinez’s two run shot to left
was never in doubt. It was the third of the season
for the All-Star Game Home Run Derby contestant.
“That was the first fastball in I threw the whole
game,” Buchanan said. “I just left it over the
plate, and he made me pay for it.”
The Whitecaps’ first run came in the fourth inning
when Tant Shepard’s (Texas) sac-fly to right
scored John Barr (Virginia) from third base.
The Kettleers return home to Lowell Park Tuesday to
take on the Chatham Anglers at 5 p.m.
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