story by Steve McCarthy
June 24, 2010
BOURNE - After being held hitless all night, Bourne
Braves cleanup hitter Mike Nemeth (UConn) came through
in the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday with a
two-out game-tying RBI-single through the right side of
the infield. He then stole second and came around with
the winning run on Creede Simpson's (Auburn) line drive
into center field to give the Braves a 3-2 victory over
the Cotuit Kettleers at Doran Park.
“I hit a couple
of balls hard today and couldn't find a hole,” Nemeth
said. “It was nice to finally hit one good and get it
through.”
It was the first
meeting between the Western Division franchises since
Bourne defeated Cotuit in the 2009 Cape Cod Baseball
League championship series. The Braves (5-5) won their
third straight game to move into a three-way tie with
Hyannis and Falmouth for the division lead. Cotuit has
lost five of its last seven games and stands at 2-7-1.
The Kettleers
carried a 2-0 lead into the late innings, but their
bullpen could not hold for starting pitcher Austin Wood
(St. Petersburg), who hurled five innings of one-hit
ball. Brooks Pinckard (Baylor) blew the save and Michael
Devine (0-1, VMI) allowed the hits by Nemeth and Simpson
and took the loss.
“Whenever you're
that close to a victory and it slips away, it always
hurts a little bit,” Cotuit catcher C.J. Cron (Utah)
said. “We've got to come back tomorrow and keep our
heads up.”
Tommy LaStella
(Southern Miss.) hit a one-out double into the right
field corner to set up Nemeth, who executed following a
Ryan Wright (Louisville) groundout.
“A 3-2 ballgame
is a normal Cape League game,” Nemeth said. “It
definitely helps to know we can come back in a game like
that.”
Wood walked one
batter and struck out three in the no-decision. He threw
44 of his 76 pitches for strikes and allowed six
baserunners.
“(Wood) did
really well,” Cron said. “He commanded his fastball.
His curveball and changeup weren't really there today,
but he threw his fastballs to both sides of the
plate.”
Bourne reliever
Kyle McMyne (1-0, Villanova) pitched just four outs for
the win. Cotuit left runners stranded on second and
third in the top of the ninth inning.
Cron drove in both
of his team's runs with a pair of ground rule doubles
which one-hopped the low outfield fence. The rulings
forced two potential Cotuit runs to stop at third base.
“I hit them solid
and they just didn't stay in,” Cron said. “There's
really nothing you can do about it.”
Bourne spoiled the
shutout in the seventh inning when Andy Lalli (Central
Conn. St.) came in from third on LaStella's sac-fly. The
run was unearned, as Lalli advanced to third on one of
two throwing errors in the inning by Cotuit shortstop
Taylor Black (Kentucky). Black aired another errant
throw in the third inning.
The Braves left 12
baserunners stranded and had just five hits before their
final at-bat. Bourne's team batting average has risen
from .186 to .219 in their past two games.
“We're starting
to figure it out,” Nemeth said. “The lineup's been
consistent. We know how we're starting to feel about
where we are in the lineup and behind everybody else.”
Cotuit's stingy
offense (.186 team batting average) tallied eight hits,
but continues to struggle to find run production to
complement a solid starting pitching rotation.
“We're just
trying to stay with it,” Cron said. “I believe it
will come around, and we're just waiting for it to
click. I think once it does, we'll be successful.”
Bourne starting
pitcher Grayson Garvin (Vanderbilt) lasted just three
innings in his first outing of the summer. He was
charged with both of Cotuit's runs on two hits and he
walked five. He had one strikeout.
Chance Sossamon
(Wichita St.) spelled Garvin for three innings, allowing
a hit and striking out three. Will Roberts (Virginia)
followed for an inning and two-thirds.
Cotuit reliever
Kyle McMillen (Kent St.) worked the sixth inning and
left runners stranded on the corners. Pinckard came on
for the next two and one-third and was lifted with one
out in the ninth, following LaStella's double.
Cotuit will travel
to Falmouth on Friday for a 7 p.m. game.
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