 
|
|
2009
Cotuit Kettleers Game Recaps
... full
season stories
|
Kettleers
tie Brewster 1-1, clinch home playoff game
with Wareham loss
story by Steve McCarthy
August 5, 2009
COTUIT - The Brewster
Whitecaps had nothing to play for Wednesday, but
they came into Lowell Park and frustrated the Cotuit
Kettleers to a 10 inning, 1-1 draw.
The Whitecaps were not one of the six teams to earn
a playoff spot, while the Kettleers were looking to
secure a home playoff game Friday with a win. With
the tie, Cotuit had to rely on a Wareham loss or tie
to remain ahead of the Gatemen, and were grateful as
Bourne came back to win 7-5 at Spillane Field.
“To me, one of the most difficult games of the
year is to play in that situation,” Cotuit manager
Mike Roberts said.
Roberts stressed Brewster’s advantage of being
able to play relaxed, as well as swinging in counts
they normally wouldn’t. Brewster outfielder Davy
Wright gained attention by shifting around to eight
different positions. The only position he didn’t
appear in was pitcher.
Roberts was hoping to rest his pitchers’ arms
before the playoffs, but three relievers and two
starters toed the mound after Fritsch. Seth Blair
(Arizona State) and Chad Bell (Walters State JC)
each threw to stay fresh after extended time between
starts. Closer Daniel Tillman (Florida Southern)
also worked an inning.
“We just have to hope our pitching holds out if we
can get through Friday,” Roberts said.
Six scoreless innings passed before the Kettleers
plated the game’s first run. An effective five
inning spot start by Cotuit’s Craig Fritsch
(Baylor) was matched by Brewster’s Matt Lujan (San
Francisco), who lasted seven innings.
“(Fritsch) gave us a great five innings,”
Roberts said. “I thought it was the best he’s
thrown the ball all year.”
Cotuit loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh
inning and Kevin Patterson (Auburn) drove in Tony
Plagman (Georgia Tech) from third with an opposite
field RBI-single.
“It’s been a rough summer up until a couple
weeks ago,” Patterson said. “It finally turned
around for me, but that’s just the way baseball
is. It’s a good time to be hot.”
The 1-0 lead lasted only until the next half inning,
when Brewster loaded the bases on a pair of singles
and a walk. Blair departed with runners on first and
second to bring in submariner Ben Rowen with one
out. Brewster’s Jedd Gyorko (West Virginia)
hammered a grounder at Patterson playing third base
which took an unpredictable hop and bounced into
left field, allowing John Barr (Virginia) to score
from second.
“It was a tough hop. It kind of kicked up on
me,” Patterson said. “That’s not an excuse. It
wasn’t an error, but in my mind it was. I
should’ve made that play.”
Cotuit’s Chris Bisson (Kentucky) led off the home
half of the eighth inning with a single, and moved
over to third on a Zach Cone (Georgia) sac-bunt and
Cody Stanley groundout, but a groundout by Plagman
left Bisson stranded.
Cotuit reliever Mike Nesseth struck out three of
five batters he faced in the ninth inning to give
the bottom half of the Kettleers batting order a
chance to come through. The first three batters were
all able to reach base, but none made it past
second. Cameron Rupp (Texas) was forced out on a
Kevin Keyes (Texas) fielder’s choice. Keyes tried
to move over from first to third on Jeff Rowland’s
single to right field but was beat by the throw.
Patterson then struck out to end the inning.
In the extra inning, Bell allowed a two out double
by Brewster’s Lyle Allen (Georgia) and
intentionally walked Harold Martinez (Miami) before
striking out Zach Jones (Stanford).
Bisson, Cone, and Stanley loaded the bases in their
half with one out. Plagman tried to push Bisson
across, but a slow roller down the first base line
was picked up by Brewster reliever Stayton Thomas
(Texas) and fired home in time for the force out.
Rupp then popped out to center. Thomas pitched the
final three shutout innings for the Whitecaps.
“It was a great ballgame,” Roberts said. “The
pitching staff did a heck of a job. We just
struggled coming up with clutch base hits.”
Cotuit’s first round playoff game Friday against
Wareham at Lowell Park will get underway at 3:00 p.m.
|
|
