story by Ashley Crosby
August 13, 2010
SOUTH
YARMOUTH - For two straight years, Cotuit field manager
Mike Roberts led his Kettleers to the Cape League
championship series, only to watch them be swept aside
by Harwich in 2008 and Bourne in 2009. But in Game 3 of
this year’s best-of-three playoff series, everything
went the Kettleers’ way as they beat the Y-D Red Sox
6-0 at Red Wilson Field in front of 5,391 fans.
The victory brought home the Arnold Mycock Trophy, named
after long-time league and Cotuit volunteer Arnold
Mycock, who presented the award to the Kettleers after a
nearly three-hour game. Cotuit last won the championship
in 1999.
Jordan Leyland (UC Irvine) was named playoff MVP
after hitting .461 with one home run and six RBI in
seven games. Michael Yastrzemski (Vanderbilt),
grandson of Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, had
two hits, including a homer, while Joey Hainsfurther
(Baylor) collected three hits. Right-hander Nick
Tropeano (Stony Brook) earned the win, pitching 6.2
hitless innings after taking over from injured starter Brady
Rogers (Arizona State).
“When Rodgers’ back stiffened there was no doubt in
my mind that if Nick Tropeano finished that ball game
the Cotuit Kettleers would win,” Roberts said. “He
is Long Island tough.”
Tropeano dominated the game as though he had something
to prove after Roberts pulled him five innings into
Monday’s playoff game against the Wareham Gatemen. His
combination two-seam fastball and sinker silenced the
potent Red Sox offense.
“I think the blessing today was that Nick Tropeano got
so mad at me he probably did not like me at all from
Monday until today,” Roberts said. “He was really
upset.”
“I thought I had more in me,” Tropeano said. “But
if he hadn’t pulled me then I wouldn’t have been
able to pitch in the championship, so no hard feelings
towards that anymore. I feel great, just given the
opportunity to go and pitch in the championship is
definitely a great feeling.”
Tropeano struck out seven and walked three. His
performance culminated with a strikeout of pinch-hitter Matt
Watson (Boston College), provoking the Kettleers to
leap over the fence of the dugout and dog pile the 6-4
right-hander.
Yastrzemski, who struggled throughout the postseason,
hit his solo home run in the fourth.
“I was just trying to put the barrel on the ball,”
he said. “I’ve been struggling lately and it felt
good to finally score a run. We just got a good group of
guys and everyone really put their full effort forward
and no one left anything on the field.”
“There’s not a player in this league that has more
pressure on him than Mike Yastrzemski,” Roberts said.
“He is a wonderful young man and whoever’s taught
him to play the game, they taught him to play it the
right way. He just will surprise you.”
Deven Marrero
(Arizona State) got the game started for Cotuit in the
second inning, doubling to centerfield and advancing to
third on Yastrzemski’s bunt. Marrero scored the first
run on a base hit by Hainsfurther.
“Deven Marrero had as much to do with our winning this
game today as any player on this field,” Roberts said.
“He took (a pitch) right under the heart, and he could
have easily not played the last five innings and come
out of the game. We didn’t have another infielder and
that young man sucked it up for our entire club, and he
was hurting really bad.”
Everything seemed to favor the Kettleers on this day. In
the third inning, catcher James McCann (Arkansas)
doubled and scored on Leyland’s single. McCann, who
was a pillar behind the plate this season, added a run
on the board in the fourth with a sacrifice fly that
scored Hainsfurther.
The Kettleers continued tacking on runs. Yastrzemski
singled home John Hinson (Clemson) in the fifth,
and Hinson doubled in Leyland in the sixth to cap
scoring.
“I’d say it’s definitely one of the biggest team
wins we’ve had,” Tropeano said. “Even the guys on
the bench, everyone contributed somehow, and I can’t
explain the feeling right now. It’s just a good
feeling.”
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