Kettleers End in 2-2 Tie With Chatham After Eight Innings

July 31, 2005

By Megan Kerr, Asst. Web Editor

COTUIT, MA -- Stetson's Shane Jordan (3-4) had a big day at the plate, but he was unable to come through with a hit in the ninth inning, ending the game at a 2-2 tie as it was too dark to continue.

    Cotuit won’t have another home game until Saturday, which may make the road to the playoffs that much more difficult.

    With a tough week ahead, a tie wasn’t what Cotuit was looking for, and though they battled back from a deficit two different times in the game, this will be a tough tie to swallow. Cotuit just wasn’t able to come up with the killer blow in the eighth inning with the bases loaded.
      Josh Johnson (Mississippi St, 3 Ks, 3 BBs) walked away with a no-decision on the night as his teammates made up the two runs he allowed to the Athletics, keeping his record at four wins and no loses on the season. Chatham got the first run of the game in the first inning when Adrian Ortiz (Pepperdine, 1 for 4 batting) scored on a sacrifice fly by Evan Longoria (Long Beach St, 0 for 4 batting, 1 RBI).

    With the sacrifice fly, Longoria increased his league-leading RBI total to thirty-two on the season and gave his team a one to nothing lead. Shane Jordan, who was involved in all of Cotuit’s scoring opportunities, got Cotuit going in the third inning when he doubled to lead off. After a ground out by Emeel Salem (Alabama, 0 for 4 batting) got Jordan to third base, Jordan then scored on a wild pitch to tie up the game.
      Chatham didn’t lay down though as it added another run off of Johnson in the sixth inning when Chris Coghlan (Mississippi, 1 for 4 batting) led off the inning with a walk. On a hit and run, Coghlan was able to get from first to third off of a single to center field, which put him on third base with only one out.

    Todd Frazier (Manhattan, 0 for 4 batting, 1 RBI) then hit the Athletics' second sacrifice of the game to get Coghlan in and put his team back on top. Cotuit was now down a run unable to get anything going against Chatham starter Steve Richard (Maine, 4 Ks, 1 BB), but when Brooks Brown (Georgia, 1 K, 1 BB) entered in the eighth inning, that’s when the Kettleers decided to strike.
      Cotuit loaded the bases with no outs after a single, an error, and a hit batter to put them in position to have a very big inning. Jason Donald (Arizona, 0 for 4 batting) struck out for the first out of the inning, and then Shane Jordan scored on a wild pitch during Roberto Lopez’s (USC, 0 for 1 batting) at-bat. Lopez was unable to get down a sacrifice bunt for the go-ahead run as Richard was able to get the runner out coming home. Then, with two outs Bryan Harris (LSU, 0 for 4 batting) grounded out to end Cotuit’s best chance at winning the game.

    The ninth innings for both teams passed without incident, giving both teams an unwanted tie as both are looking to move up in the standings. Cotuit will have to earn their playoff position the hard way as they now have an extended road schedule ahead, but hopefully it will get off to a good start tomorrow against Yarmouth-Dennis.