story by Steve McCarthy
July 4, 2010
COTUIT - The Cotuit Kettleers have yet to lose in
July and extended their winning streak to four games
Sunday with a 5-2 win over the Falmouth Commodores at
Lowell Park.
The Kettlers
(8-10-1) closed to within one point of the Commodores
and the Hyannis Harbor Hawks, who are tied for second
place in the Western Division standings, two points
behind the Bourne Braves.
Falmouth has lost
two in a row and fell to 9-10. Cotuit and Falmouth will
meet again on Monday, with the Commodores hosting.
C.J. Cron (Utah)
hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning of his
final game with the Kettleers before leaving for the
Team USA Trials. His opposite-field shot was the
difference in the game as all of Cotuit's scoring came
in the third and fourth innings.
“A reliever out
of the pen usually comes first pitch fastball, so I was
sitting it and fortunately he threw it somewhere where I
can hit it,” Cron said.
Falmouth scored in
its first and last at-bats.
Cron left as the
Cape League's leader in RBIs (13) and tied for the lead
in home runs (3). He batted .275 in 19 games and had
eight doubles.
“The transition
from metal to wood is definitely a big deal,” Cron
said. “The reps I got out here was great and I'm
really glad I got to do it.”
Falmouth's Nick
Martini (Kansas St.) laced an RBI single into left field
to give the Commodores the early advantage. The lead was
surrendered two innings later when Falmouth catcher
Chris O'Brien's (Wichita St.) throw down to second on a
double steal attempt came up short and skipped into
center field, allowing two runs to score.
Falmouth starting
pitcher Taylor Wall (0-2, Rice) walked James McCann
(Arkansas) and Zach Cone (Georgia) in the fourth inning
before reliever Nick Brown (Iowa) came on to face Cron.
Wall took the loss, allowing four runs on one hit and
walking five. He struck out one.
Right-hander Matt
Murray (1-0, Georgia Southern) went six innings in his
fourth start for Cotuit to earn the win. It was his
third time facing Falmouth and first win against the
Commodores. He allowed a run on four hits and walked
two, while striking out four. The outing matched his
longest of the summer.
“I just sped up
the tempo a little bit, tried to throw more first pitch
strikes, and tried to work more off-speed,” Murray
said. “I was just trying to blow it by them and it
wasn't working.”
Cotuit received a
solid effort from it's bullpen for a third consecutive
night. David Colvin (Pomona-Pitzer) struck out four
through an inning and two-thirds and Brooks Pinckard
(Baylor) finished the game. Pinckard allowed a pair of
hits and an earned run in the ninth inning.
“We've had faith
in out bullpen the whole year,” Cron said. “They've
always done a great job for us, and lately they've just
been shutting the door.”
The Kettleers
notched two of their four hits off Brown, who followed
Wall for two-plus innings. Jarred Hippen (Iowa) allowed
a hit and a walk over the final two frames.
Falmouth out-hit
Cotuit 7-4, and was led by B.A. Vollmuth (Southern
Miss.), who had a double and a single. Deven Marrero
(Arizona St.) and Paul Hoilman (East Tennessee St.) both
doubled for Cotuit.
“We're getting a
lot better, and I'm excited to see how far we can go,”
Murray said.
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