story by Steve McCarthy
July 8, 2010
COTUIT - Starting pitchers Nick Tropeano (Stony
Brook) and Jed Bradley (Georgia Tech) dueled through
eight innings Thursday, but neither came away a winner
as darkness decided a 1-1 tie between the Cotuit
Kettleers and Wareham Gatemen after 11 innings at Lowell
Park.
Both runs were
scored in the second inning and both teams left
potential winning runs stranded on second and third in
the final inning of play. Cotuit's Paul Hoilman (East
Tennessee St.) thought he had ended it in the 10th, but
his long drive to left was snared just shy of the fence.
I think it says
a lot about us, Bradley said. We fought hard all
day.
Those late
innings, we're still battling, so I like that about this
club, Tropeano said.
Neither team moved
in the Cape Cod Baseball League's Western Division
standings, as Cotuit is second at 9-11-2 and Wareham is
last at 7-13-1. The Kettleers are home again Friday
night, hosting division-leading Bourne.
It was the first
meeting between the teams since each lost top hitters to
the Team USA trials. Cotuit's C.J. Cron (Utah) and
Wareham's George Springer (UConn) left tied for the
league lead in home runs (3).
Tropeano (0-2) made
his third start against the Gatemen of the summer
Thursday and endured his longest of five outings.
Through eight innings, he allowed four hits and struck
out six while walking two. Bradley and Tropeano are
first and second in the league in strikeouts,
respectively.
I know the
hitters better (facing them for the third time), but
they know me better, Tropeano said. I just tried
to mix things up, keep them off balance.
Bradley went an
inning longer than Tropeano and struck out the side in
the ninth to finish with nine. He allowed seven hits and
walked two.
I spotted my
fastball really well, Bradley said. I had a good
slider, good change-up. Just kept guys off balance.
A bases-loaded
groundout plated Wareham's run, and Cotuit's Curt Casali
(Vanderbilt) came in from third as the Gatemen turned a
4-6-3 double play with no outs.
Tropeano faced the
minimum over the next six innings and did not allow a
baserunner past first. He threw 119 pitches, with 66 for
strikes.
I just kept on
attacking the hitters, just trusting the 'D' behind
me, Tropeano said.
Bradley allowed
eight Cotuit baserunners to advance into scoring
position but recovered each time. He needed 111 pitches
to get through his outing.
Pitch count
isn't a big thing with our team, Bradley said. As
long as you're getting the job done, they usually leave
you in.
Chad Wright
(Kentucky) went 3-for-4 to lead Cotuit. Jordan Leyland (UC-Irvine)
was the only other Kettleer with multiple hits, going
2-for-5.
All but two Wareham
starters contributed a hit. Zach Wilson (Arizona St.)
and Adam McClain (Memphis) each had two.
Matt Murray
(Georgia Southern) spelled Tropeano for two innings and
allowed five hits and struck out three. Ryan Duke
(Oklahoma) walked a batter in the 11th after inheriting
a baserunner on second.
Keith Bilodeau
(Maine) finished the game for Wareham. He allowed one
hit and walked two.
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