story by Steve McCarthy
July 16, 2010
COTUIT - A night after being shut out for the first
time since June 18, the Cotuit Kettleers offense
rebounded for an eight-run, 10-hit outburst Friday to
out-slug the visiting Harwich Mariners 8-4.
Michael Yastrzemski
(Vanderbilt) led the charge for the Kettleers, going
3-for-4 with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored. He also
swiped two of Cotuit's five stolen bases in the game.
“To get back out
there and everyone's swinging the bat good and running,
it's a lot of fun when it comes together,” Yastrzemski
said.
Falmouth lost
Friday night, leaving Cotuit (12-13-2) alone in second
place in the Cape Cod Baseball League's Western
Division, two points behind Bourne. Harwich (14-14)
remains in third in the East, despite carrying as many
points as Bourne.
Cotuit will host
Falmouth on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Tyler Pill
(CSU-Fullerton) had three hits for the Mariners, who
opened the game with a two-run inning after a leadoff
triple by Ronnie Richardson (Central Florida).
Swirling winds
baffled outfielders early on, particularly Cotuit center
fielder Michael Faulkner (Arkansas St.), who could not
catch up to Richardson's drive over his head.
“It was nice to
have an advantage (offensively) with the wind, but
defensively, it's not fun,” left fielder Yastrzemski
said.
Cotuit starting
pitcher Brady Rodgers (Arizona St.) was able to settle
down for six shutout innings, while the Kettleers
offense supported him with all eight runs posted between
the second and sixth innings.
Rodgers struck out
10 and did not allow a walk after both of Harwich's
first-inning runs were unearned. The Mariners found
three hits in the eighth to push two more runs across
and end Rodgers' night after seven and two-thirds
innings. Seven of the nine hits off Rodgers came in the
first and eighth innings.
“In the first
inning, they were getting it in the air and it was
carrying in the gaps,” Rodgers said. “After that, I
just started keeping it low and they started rolling
over, hitting it on the ground. That made it a lot
easier on me.”
Cotuit reliever
David Colvin (Pomona-Pitzer) finished the game.
Harwich
right-hander Pierce Johnson (2-1, Missouri St.) held
Cotuit off the scoreboard in just two of his five and
two-thirds innings of work. He was responsible for seven
of the eight runs scored during that time and all 10
hits.
Clint Moore (West
Point) and Kyle McKenzie (Tulane) combined to shut the
Kettleers down for the remainder of the game.
Cotuit's Brooks
Pinckard (Baylor) scored in the second and fourth
innings after stealing third twice. He was plated by
Jordan Leyland's (UC-Irvine) single in the second and
credited with stealing home in the fourth after escaping
a rundown.
Yastrzemski drove
in Leyland in the fourth and sixth innings with a pair
of base hits. He scored on a John Hinson (Clemson)
groundout in the third and Chad Wright's (Kentucky)
double in the sixth.
Cotuit catcher
James McCann (Arkansas) had two RBIs to go along with
two hits. Faulkner also had two hits out of the leadoff
spot.
“To score eight
runs in this league is real tough,” Rodgers said.
“We did a really good job today.”
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