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Kettleers salvage tie in second
game of doubleheader
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story by Steve McCarthy
June 19, 2010
COTUIT - The Chatham Anglers won the front end of
Saturday's doubleheader at Cotuit 2-1 and settled for a
4-4 tie in the second game.
The Cape Cod
Baseball League decided when scheduling this summer's
seven inning doubleheaders that each game could extend
no longer than nine innings in order to prevent
overworking pitchers.
At the end of a
long day of baseball at Lowell Park, the Anglers
improved to 4-1-1 while Cotuit fell to 1-4-1.
It would have
been nice to pull off a win (in Game 2), but obviously
it's really important to try and get as many wins as you
can, because you never know what's going to happen
throughout the season, said Chatham catcher Joseph
Pavone (UConn).
Pavone provided the
game-winning RBI-single in the seventh inning of Game 1.
The Kettleers
manufactured the second game's tying run in the sixth
inning but could not finish the job. Rick Oropesa (USC)
did the bulk of Chatham's offensive damage with a
three-run homer in the fifth off Cotuit starting pitcher
Nick Tropeano.
I was just
looking for an opportunity to hit the ball hard
gap-to-gap, Oropesa said. I was looking for a
change-up and I was able to capitalize on the mistake.
Cotuit plated the
game's first run in their first at-bat and went up 2-0
in the fourth inning on C.J. Cron's (Utah) second home
run of the season.
Meanwhile, Tropeano
struck out eight batters in his first three innings of
work.
The tides turned in
the fifth inning when sloppy Cotuit fielding and a pair
of base hits set the stage for Oropesa. Cotuit committed
two errors in the game.
A couple of
their mistakes ended up costing them a couple of
runs, Pavone said.
Tropeano was
replaced after four and two-thirds innings. He finished
with eight strikeouts and allowed seven hits. He also
walked two batters. Three of Chatham's four runs off
Tropeano were earned.
Down 4-2 in the
fifth inning, Cotuit's Levi Hyams (Georgia) knocked in
Kevin Patterson (Auburn) from second with an RBI-single
up the middle. The Kettleers executed a suicide squeeze
bunt in the sixth to knot the score up.
Chatham starting
pitcher Mark Zecchino (Virginia Tech) lasted four
innings and allowed Cotuit's first two runs. Aaron Gates
(Pepperdine) and Zack Jones (San Jose St.) followed out
of the bullpen and each allowed a run before Phil
Schreiber pitched a scoreless ninth.
In the first game,
all ten of Chatham's hits were singles and an unearned
run was the difference.
The game remained
tied at 1-1 from the first inning until Pavone executed
in the seventh. Pavone's line drive found a hole between
Cotuit's shortstop and third baseman.
I was just
trying to stay inside something, Pavone said. He
gave me a fastball and I got to poke it through the
hole, which was nice.
Pavone, Oropesa,
and Dan Paolini (Sienna) each had a pair of hits for the
Anglers.
It's a different
type of game with wood (bats), so any time you can get
on base it's definitely better for the team, Pavone
said.
Patterson homered
in the first inning for Cotuit and doubled in the sixth
but received little support. Hyams had two singles and
Paul Hoilman (East Tennessee St.) had the other.
Chatham's Derek
Self (1-0, Louisville) hurled six strong innings for the
win. He allowed four hits and struck out two while not
walking a batter. Kevin Vance (UConn) earned the save
(2).
Josh Spence
(Arizona St.) was given limited duty on the mound for
Cotuit. His first start of the summer lasted just two
innings, but he struck out five. A.J. Achter (Michigan
State) pitched three and two-thirds innings and Kyle
McMillen (0-1, Kent State) finished the game and took
the loss.
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