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Bourne
sweeps Cotuit for Cape League Title with 5-1 Game
2 win
story by Steve McCarthy
August 12, 2009
COTUIT - For the second straight year the Cotuit
Kettleers watched their Cape Cod Baseball League
Championship Series opponent hoist the Arnold
Mycock Trophy. This time it was on their own turf.
Bourne Braves left fielder Stefen Romero (Oregon
State) squeezed the final out of a one, two, three
ninth inning pitched by closer Kevin Munson (James
Madison) as the team sprinted toward the
pitcher’s mound to celebrate a 5-1 Game 2 win
for the team’s first Cape League Championship
since their name change from the Canalmen in 1987.
“I congratulate Bourne,” Cotuit manager
Roberts said. “I thought they had an outstanding
team the entire season.”
The Braves earned a first round bye as the Western
Division’s top team, then breezed through their
semi-final series with Orleans before resting a
day to prepare for the low on depth but full of
talent Cotuit Kettleers.
“To have the opportunity to be in the Finals two
years in a row is a wonderful opportunity,”
Roberts said. “Some people win, and some people
lose, but I think we won a lot more than we
lost.”
The Kettleers only reserves for the Finals were
pitchers, while the Braves retained all of their
key players through the end of the season.
“To play six days in a row with only nine
position players, with no way to give them any
rest, really in today’s world you only see that
in middle school baseball,” Roberts said.
After a lopsided 15-5 affair in favor of the
Braves in a fog shortened Game 1, Cotuit received
a quality start from right-hander Justin Grimm
(Georgia) on short rest, but could not execute
with runners in scoring position.
Bourne jumped out in front with a three run third
inning and did not let the Kettleers score after
their lone run in the second inning gave them a
1-0 lead. A two-run single by Pierre LePage (UCONN)
put the Braves on top for good. LePage’s steal
of second with Scott Woodward on third drew a
throw down from Cotuit catcher Zach Maggard
(Florida Southern) that allowed Woodward to break
for home and beat the return throw to make the
score 3-1.
Bourne’s Chris Wallace (Houston) was given a
free pass from third in the fifth inning on a balk
by Grimm. The following inning saw the game’s
final run when Cape League MVP Kyle Roller (East
Carolina) scored from third without a throw as the
Kettleers turned a 4-6-3 double play.
Grimm was pulled by Roberts after six innings.
Four of the five runs were earned. He allowed four
hits, struck out five, and walked three. He also
hit a batter.
“You’ll see Justin’s name way up in the
draft next June,” Roberts said. “A young man
who eventually I think will have a chance to pitch
in the Major Leagues. So I’m really
appreciative.”
Cotuit stranded runners on third in the fifth and
sixth innings, and one on second in the first.
They tallied eight hits, three more than Bourne.
“We had more hits than them today,” Cotuit
infielder Chris Bisson said. “They just
capitalized on their chances.”
Bourne starting pitcher Eric Cantrell (George
Washington) was a deserving winning pitcher. He
kept most balls hit by Cotuit batters on the
ground and lasted 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six
and allowed six hits while walking two.
“He did his job,” Cotuit catcher/outfielder
Cody Stanley said. “It worked out for him. They
got their runs and kept them, and we couldn’t
pull anything out.”
Logan Billbrough (William & Mary) pitched two
and two-thirds scoreless innings of relief to set
up Munson.
Coach Roberts finished the game with his two most
consistent relievers to keep the game within
reach. Submariner Ben Rowen (Virginia Tech)
pitched two scoreless innings, and closer Daniel
Tillman (Florida Southern) struck out two of the
three batters he faced in the ninth.
“Our pitching staff has carried us the whole
summer,” Roberts said. “The three guys that
were out there today were very very central parts
of us being able to get to this point.”
After the tough loss, Cotuit’s players remained
upbeat about their experience on the Cape as they
said goodbye.
“I’m thankful because for me, it was real
close for me to not coming to the Cape,” Bisson
said. “I thank everybody, especially the
coaching staff and Coach Roberts for just bringing
me down. I’m blessed to have been here.”
“It’s been a fantastic experience,” Stanley
said. “I’ll take this with me for as long as I
go, God willing it be for a very long time. I’m
very honored to be here.”
Before the game, Cotuit pitcher Chad Bell (Walters
St. JC) shook hands with teammates and left Lowell
Park after confirming he had signed a contract
with the Texas Rangers. The Rangers 14th round
pick was the seventh Cotuit player on the 2009
roster to accept an offer since the June draft,
following Drew Storen (Washington Nationals),
Robbie Shields (New York Mets), Tyler Townsend
(Baltimore Orioles), Chris Dwyer (Kansas City
Royals), Ricky Bowen (Cincinnati Reds) and Brandon
May (Chicago Cubs).
“As I always tell the players, I’ve been
blessed to have somebody in my family who is
having the opportunity to live a sports dream for
him, and my goal is to try to help each one of
those young men come closer to that goal for
them,” Roberts said. “To me, Chad’s first
big step toward that was today.”
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