story by Steve McCarthy
July 10, 2010
COTUIT - Cotuit Kettleers starting pitcher Austin
Wood (St. Petersburg JC) celebrated his 20th birthday on
the mound at Lowell Park on Sunday. Brewster Whitecaps
hitters were not invited to the party.
Wood allowed just
two hits over six and two-thirds innings as the
Kettleers shut out the Cape Cod Baseball League's top
team 3-0.
I think it was a
pretty good present to get the win, Wood said. I'm
starting to feel better in a starting role.
Cotuit has been the
hottest team in the Western Division through the first
part of July, going 7-2-1 in its last 10 games. They
remain two points behind the Bourne Braves for the
division lead.
Brewster fell to
17-8 but still heads the East by six points.
Wood allowed his
second hit in the third inning and only two other
baserunners reached by walk after that. Wood struck out
six and was still touching 97 miles per hour on the
park's radar gun during his final inning of work. He
threw 61 of his season-high 99 pitches for strikes.
I was throwing
fastballs early, so they were sitting fastball, Wood
said. Once I started mixing it up a little bit,
throwing the slider and my curveball and change-up, I
was keeping them off-balance a lot better.
Wood (2-0) has won
his last two starts and his 0.36 earned run average is
second-lowest in the league.
Cotuit reliever
David Colvin (Pomona-Pitzer) was perfect for the
remainder of the game and picked up the save (1).
I wanted to go
another (inning), Wood said. But we knew Colvin
was going to come in and do well and shut them down.
Brewster
right-hander Jake Floethe (CSU-Fullerton) was equally
effective in his start, scattering four hits through
seven innings. Cotuit's only run during that span
crossed due to an interference call during a rundown
between third base and home.
Cotuit's speedy
leadoff hitter, Michael Faulkner (Arkansas St.), beat
out an infield grounder, which moved Deven Marrero
(Arizona St.) over from second base to third. Marrero
rounded third before third base coach Mike Roberts had
second thoughts about sending him home and came to a
halt halfway down the baseline. Brewster catcher Mike
Dowd (Franklin Pierce) obstructed Marrero's path back to
third without the ball, drawing the interference call.
(Dowd) was right
in front of me and he wasn't calling for the ball,
Marrero said. So I just kind of stuck my arm out and
hit him and kind of fell over a little bit. I kind of
acted right there.
Luke Bard (Georgia
Tech) came on in relief of Floethe for the eighth inning
and allowed Cotuit to open up a cushion. Marrero doubled
and stole third before scoring on Faulkner's bunt
single. Faulkner came all the way around from first when
Michael Yastrzemski's (Vanderbilt) base hit induced a
fielding error by Brewster right fielder Chris Ellison
(Oklahoma).
Faulkner and
Marrero were the game's only players with multiple hits,
going 2-for-4 and 2-for-3, respectively. Cotuit out-hit
Brewster 7-2.
The Kettleers are
home again on Monday to face Hyannis at 5 p.m.
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