The Sandwich Enterprise
June 30, 2000
by Dan Crowley

The Kettleer bats came alive last week in Brewster, knocking out 10 hits, defeating the Whitecaps 9-3 raising their record to 4-5 on the young season. Steve Ghutzman hit his fourth double and collected four RBI. Daylan Holt added three hits and leadoff hitter Mike Hook had two hits, walked twice, stole two bases and scored three runs. Shawn Weaver went seven innings for Cotuit allowing six hits while striking out six to collect the win. Brian Strelitz came on in relief and struck out three. Cotuit opened the scoring with a run in the first, but the Whitecaps came back with two in the bottom of the second. With the score tied at 3-3 in the top of the sixth Cotuit DH Dallas McPherson singled home Chris Russ with the first of three runs. Cotuit added three more runs in the eighth. Ten hits and 10 walks by Brewster pitching gave the Kettleers ample opportunity to score, but it wasn’t until the sixth that Weaver had a lead to work with. Cotuit stranded 11 runners.

A trip to first place Falmouth last Friday pitted the Ghutzman brothers, Steve (Cotuit) and Phil (Falmouth) against one another in a struggle that featured a strong performance by Falmouth ace Bob Brownile who got the win, 4-2. Older brother, Phil was the one with the .394 batting average, as opposed to Steve’s .296, but it was Steve who had the better night at the plate, going three for four and scoring a run. Steve also stole third on his brother, the Falmouth catcher. Steve was behind the plate for Cotuit. Phil reached base on a walk, but never had the chance to test his brother’s arm. The Commodores scored first in the bottom of the fourth and twice more in the fifth. Cotuit score once in the sixth and again in the seventh. Falmouth capped the scoring with a run in the seventh. Zack Minor went six and a third innings for Cotuit allowing six hits, walking six and striking out six. Chris Rogers came on to face one batter and Nick Glaser closed it out for the Kettleers. Minor (0-1) took the loss. Brownilie (2-0) went seven innings for the win Allowing just three hits, while striking out nine. Cory Slining came on in the eighth to get the save. The loss left Cotuit with a record of 4-6.

Saturday the Kettleers faced another strong arm in Wareham’s Ben Crockett losing, 5-1. The Gatemen struck first with a run in the top of the first off of Cotuit starter Chris Russ. In the bottom of the second John Nathans drove in McPherson to tie the score. But, a three run fourth and another run in the seventh put the game in the Wareham win column. Brian Barre hit a home run with one out in the fourth to start the Wareham rally. With two outs in the inning the Gatemen managed two more runs. Russ left after six and a third innings having given up five runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out three. Cotuit committed four errors. Brian Strelitz came in to finish things for the Kettleers allowing one hit, walking one and striking out one in two and two thirds innings of work. Crockett (2-0) went all the way for the win allowing seven hits and striking out five. Russ (1-1) took the loss for Cotuit. After four and a half innings of scoreless baseball

Orleans put a run on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning last Sunday only to have the Kettleers come storming back to win it 7-1. Rogers took the win for Cotuit in relief of Brian Sager who went three innings for the Kettleers. Hook tied the ball game in the top of the sixth with a solo blast, his first of the year. Brian Wright then singled home Matt Longo for the second run of the inning. Cotuit added five more runs in the seventh. Brett Lewis (2-1) went six innings for the Cardinals giving up two runs on five hits and taking the loss. He walked three and struck out six. Jon Steitz came in in the seventh and gave up the five Cotuit runs. Brad Pinkerton finished the inning and third baseman Lance Niekro pitched the eighth and ninth for Orleans. Cardinal pitching gave up eight walks, four to Longo, who scored twice. Hook slid into second with his league leading ninth stolen base and scored one of the Cotuit runs. After the first dozen games the Kettleers are 5-7.

Over the four game series through last weekend, the Kettleers have played .500 baseball. They scored 19 times, while allowing 13 runs and out hit their opponents 30 to 24. They have left 33 runners on base over the four game period, an average of just over eight men a game, but over the same four games the opposing teams stranded an identical 33 runners. However, miscues in the field have hurt Cotuit. The team committed eight errors over the four games as opposed to just three by the four other teams. In their first 12 games they have committed 24 errors. Kettleer pitching posted a respectable 3.18 ERA over 12 games, but the team continues to struggle with the bat with the team average at the plate just .219 as of last Monday.