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2009
Cotuit Kettleers Game Recaps
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season stories
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Kettleers
put on home run clinic in 8-2 win against Wareham
story by Steve McCarthy
July 31, 2009
COTUIT - University of Texas Longhorns Cameron Rupp
and Kevin Keyes punctuated a five run fifth inning
for the Cotuit Kettleers Friday, launching
back-to-back home runs to straight away center field
as the Kettleers rolled against the Wareham Gatemen
8-2 in a darkness shortened seven inning contest at
Lowell Park.
Zach Cone (Georgia) and Kevin Patterson (Auburn)
added a two-run homer and solo shot respectively to
complement Rupp’s two-run blast and Keyes’ solo
shot. The Kettleers showed no residual effect of
Wednesday’s 13-1 loss to the Western Division
leading Bourne Braves.
“To bounce back from a loss like that and win the
way we did was pretty good,” Rupp said. Rupp
recalled hitting a home run in the same inning as
Keyes at school, but never back-to-back.
The Kettleers (18-17-5) are now tied with the
Gatemen (18-16-5) for the second spot in the
Division. Pitching coach Scott Gurss picked up his
second Cape League win as acting manager in place of
Mike Roberts, who was serving a one game suspension
after his second ejection of the season on
Wednesday. “I couldn’t be happier with the way
the guys played,” Gurss said. “I told the guys
to relax…have fun. The wind’s blowing out - good
day to swing it - hit it in the air.”
Patterson started the offensive charge in the third
inning, teeing off on Wareham starting pitcher Eric
Pfisterer (Duke) to left-center field for his team
leading fourth home run of the season. Pfisterer
(3-1) was the game’s losing pitcher after allowing
Cotuit’s first six runs in four and two-thirds
innings. He allowed seven hits, struck out six and
walked one.
Cotuit’s Zach Maggard (Florida Southern) singled
in Rico Noel (Coastal Carolina) for the second run
of the inning.
Wareham bounced back with two of their own in the
following inning. Derek Dietrich (Georgia Tech) led
off with a double, then scored on Ryan LaMarre’s
(Michigan) RBI-single. LaMarre moved over to third
after George Springer (UCONN) was hit by a pitch and
Alex Dickerson (Indiana) grounded to first. The
Kettleers attempted to turn a 3-6-3 double play on
Dickerson’s grounder, but shortstop Chris
Bisson’s (Kentucky) return throw was errant,
allowing LaMarre to score.
Cotuit hitters took advantage of a strong, swirling
wind in the fifth inning. Gurss also noticed a
pattern in Wareham’s pitch calling. “I saw that
Pfisterer was throwing fastball, changeup early in
the count,” Gurss said. “I gave our signals to
guys saying swing it early in the count, and
that’s what they did and we got a lot of runs
today.”
Cone drove in Noel after a leadoff single with a
towering shot into the trees behind the left-center
field fence. Maggard then drew a walk to set up
Rupp, and Keyes matched Rupp’s power after a
Wareham pitching change brought in right-hander
Bruce Kern (St. Johns).
“I was sitting first pitch fastball and he threw
it to me,” Keyes said. “Today on a windy day
like this, you hit a ball in the air it’s going to
go anyways. I hit the ball in the air and it just
kept carrying, and I’m just glad it was a home
run.”
Cone’s third RBI of the game came on a groundout
in the sixth inning that scored Noel from third.
Noel walked, then used his speed on a hit-and-run
executed by Bisson to move over to third.
Cotuit starting pitcher Seth Blair (3-2, Arizona
St.) battled through the elements and a couple of
long waits in the dugout between innings to earn the
win. He went the distance, allowing four hits,
struck out three and walked four. Just one of
Wareham’s runs was earned. “He got a little cold
there because we probably spent a little too long
hitting - but can’t complain there,” Gurss said.
“He came in and he beared down and we played
defense behind him, and that’s what happens when
you’ve got good pitching, and good defense, and
good hitting, you normally come out with a win.”
The Kettleers return to Bourne on Saturday for a
5:30 game matching Justin Grimm (0-4, Georgia)
against Seth Maness (2-0, East Carolina).
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