Harwich Mariners Down Kettleers, 5-4, at Whitehouse Field

By Megan Kerr, Asst. Web Editor
July 17, 2005

HARWICH, MA — Wild Pitches and passed balls were the running theme in last night’s game between the Kettleers and Harwich Mariners, as both teams scored two runs each off of these situations. Unfortunately for Cotuit, the Mariners wound up on the winning end of the equation, defeating the Kettleers, 5-4.

Chris Toneguzzi (Purdue, 1 K, 1 BB) threw three bad pitched in the ninth inning, which allowed Harwich to come back and claim a victory over the Kettleers as Toneguzzi suffered his first loss of the season.  A very close game, neither team was able to put the other away, and the result was a frustrating loss for the Kettleers.

Cotuit got the first runs of the game in the third inning against Harwich starter George Kontos (Northwestern, 8 Ks, 1 BB) as Roberto Lopez (USC, 3 for 4 batting) led off the inning with a single.  After Emeel Salem (Alabama, 2 for 5 batting) had also singled, the Kettleers didn’t have to do anything else in the inning as Kontos did their work for them.  Both players scored on wild pitches, giving the Kettleers a two to nothing lead without anyone on their team having a single RBI.  Harwich refused to lay down though, and in the sixth inning they pulled ahead of Cotuit.

After tying the game in the fifth on a homerun by Matt Morizio (Northeastern, 2 for 4 batting, 1 RBI) and a run by Arman Sidhu (Northeastern, 2 for 4 batting), Harwich continued to mount an attack in the sixth.  Chad Flack (UNC, 1 for 4 batting) led off the inning with a double, and then moved to third after tagging up on a fairly deep fly ball to right field.  John Shelby (Kentucky, 2 for 4 batting,1 RBI) then bunted to score the go-ahead run, but in a game where no lead would be safe, Cotuit stormed right back in the seventh and eighth innings.

The game was tied in the seventh when pinch hitter Todd Davison (Delaware, 1 for 2 batting, 1 RBI) singled to bring home Devin Thomas (Brown, 2 for 4 batting, 1 RBI) for his twelfth RBI of the season.  Thomas then hit the go-ahead run in the eighth inning when the first baseman was unable to catch the bunt that he popped up, allowing Brad Boyer to score (Arizona, 2 for 5 batting)  It seemed that Cotuit had now taken control of the game, but in the ninth, it all fell apart for Toneguzzi as he was unable to keep the Harwich attack contained.

After getting the first out of the inning, it all began to go down hill for Toneguzzi as both Chris Emanuele (Northeastern, 2 for 5 batting) and Joe Perschina (ASU, 1 for 5 batting) hit to get on base.

Toneguzzi did the rest of the work for Harwich as both players crossed home plate when the pitch got by the catcher and traveled all the way to the back stop.  A passed ball and a wild pitch was all it took to give Harwich the victory, as the Kettleers were forced to watch helplessly as the tying and winning runs crossed the plate.  It was an unfortunate loss, but hopefully the Kettleers will be able to put it behind them when the face the struggling Hyannis Mets this afternoon.