The Sandwich Enterprise
July 21, 2000
by Dan Crowley

In a game that had been postponed earlier due to team illness, the Bourne Braves, healthy again, visited Lowell Park last week and took a late inning win away from the Kettleers, 3-2. Battling for a much needed win against last place Bourne, the Cotuit bats were silent, with the exception of Chris Russ, Matt Singer, Daylan Holt and pinch hitter Steve Ghutzman. After five and a half scoreless innings, the Kettleers put two runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Russ reached on an infield single then moved into scoring position at third on a throwing error. He tagged and scored on a fly out by Anthony Purkiss. Holt, who has been hitting well as of late, then doubled. He came home on a pinch hit by Ghutzman, But, two runs were all that the Kettleers could muster against Bourne pitcher Grant Gregg, who went six and two thirds innings, allowing just the two runs on five hits and striking out seven. Ryan Combs went seven solid innings for Cotuit giving up two runs on just three hits, including a lead-off home run in the seventh to Bourne first baseman Jon Benick. Erick Threets came on in the top of the eighth going a third of an inning and giving up what turned out to be the winning run. Nick Glaser came on in relief of Threets and finished up for Cotuit. Luke DeBold finished the sixth and pitched the seventh for Bourne to earn the win, with Josh Brey closing out the eighth for the save. Singer went two for two at the plate for Cotuit, including a seventh inning double, upon which the Kettleers were unable to capitalize. Russ was two for four with a stolen base and a run scored. The Kettleers had just six hits and stranded eight base runners. The team dropped to 11-15 and are in fourth place in the Western Division.

The loss to Bourne was followed by a trip to Hyannis and another must win game against the third place Mets. Again a late inning comeback snuffed out the Kettleer’s hopes as Hyannis scored in the bottom of the ninth to win 7-6. Cotuit opened the scoring in the top of the second putting four runs across the plate. Brian Wright had two RBI in the inning. The Mets came back in the bottom of the third driving five runs across the plate and added another in the fourth. Shawn Weaver went five innings for Cotuit allowing six runs on six hits, while striking out three. Dan Eisentrager came on in relief going three and two thirds innings and taking the loss. In the top of the seventh, Russ moved Cotuit within a run of the Mets with his second home run of the year. After a scoreless eighth inning, the Kettleers tied the score in the top of the ninth when Hyannis pitcher, Darryl DeSalvo gave up a two out bases loaded walk to Holt tying the game. The top of the inning ended with the bases load for Cotuit. In the bottom of the frame the Mets got a man on base for hot hitting Ryan Barthelemy, who, with two outs, drove home the winning run. Barthelemy went three for five at the plate for the Mets, scored a run, hit a home run in the third and accounted for four RBI. Mike Hook stole his 17th base of the season and Russ added his fifth.

With a record of 11-16 and struggling to beat clubs at the bottom of the division, Cotuit hosted the Yarmouth Dennis last Saturday with the hope once more of getting back into the win column, only to slip further in the Western Division standings, falling to the Red Sox 6-4. Cotuit’s Dallas McPherson, a starting pitcher at the Citadel, but who has been playing the infield this season for the Kettleers due to some shoulder soreness, got his first start of the season. McPherson gave up a run in the top of the first, but the Kettleers came right back to even the score. In the top of the second a hit batter and two errors combined to give the Red Sox three more runs and a 4-1 lead. In the third Cotuit added a run, but the Red Sox pushed another across the plate in the top of the fifth to go up 5-2. McPherson went five complete innings for the Kettleers. Just two of the five Y-D runs were earned. He allowed eight hits, while striking out two and walking two. Threets came on in relief and pitched the four remaning innings for Cotuit giving up one run on one hit and striking out five, while walking two batters. A two run Cotuit rally in the bottom of the sixth fell short as Red Sox pitcher Mike Frick came on in relief of starter Tony Banaszak to halt the Kettleers. Brandon Luna relieved Frick in the seventh to get the save. Russ went three for four at the plate and scored a run. The dependable Texas A&M junior raised his average to .262. Singer continued his steady work with the bat with a two for four performance and an RBI, raising his average to a team leading .282. Russ, Holt, Singer and Matt Longo all had a stolen base.

The loss to the Red Sox dropped the Kettleers to 11-17. The Sunday night game at Chatham went four innings before being cancelled due to fog. Brian Sager was on the mound for Cotuit and had five strikouts after four. Chris Young pitched for Chatham and posted eight strikeouts for the Athletics in four innings of work. The game was called with Chatham ahead 1-0 and was rescheduled to be replayed in its entirety at a later date.