Milano’s 3-Run Bomb Mashes Cotuit Hopes for Comeback
By Megan Kerr, Asst. Web Editor
July 5, 2005
COTUIT, MA – Every starter for the Wareham Gatemen had a hit, giving the Kettleers’ archrival an 8-0 victory in a game shortened by darkness.
The game lasted just seven innings at Lowell park last night.
The Kettleers’ collective hot bats of late grew cold last night as Cotuit left just four men on base, all totalled.
Wareham’s Wade LeBlanc (Alabama/6 Ks, 1 BB) pitched a very strong six innings to pick up his second victory of the season to bring his record to 2-1.
It appeared that the Kettleers were going to score quickly against the Gatemen when LeBlanc ran into trouble in the bottom of the second inning. Shane Jordan (Stetson, 1-3) came to the plate with men on third and second with one out hopping to put the Gatemen in a hole right away.
Jordan failed to do this when he grounded out to the second baseman, not allowing the runners to advance. Michael Hollander (LSU) followed Jordan and appeared to have a double down the left field line that would have scored two runs. The third base umpire called the ball fair, and then the home plate umpire made a questionable call when he decided to overrule this and called Hollander’s ball foul. Instead of being up by two, the Kettleers got no runs as Hollander then proceeded to fly out to the shortstop. This appeared to deflate the Kettleers as they never seriously threatened the Gatemen again.
Daniel Moskos (Clemson, 2 Ks, 1 BB) pitched four innings for the Kettleers and only allowed one earned run, which was questionable since the runner was given a hit in what appeared to be a play the third baseman should have made, in his second loss of the season. The one run scored on the RBI by Michael McCallister (Alabama/1-4 batting, 1 RBI) turned out to be all that the Gatemen would need, but they never stopped as the continued to pour in the runs against the Kettleers. After Moskos left the game, the Kettleers appeared to fall apart as the two relievers allowed seven runs over the next four innings. The worst inning for the Kettleers occurred in the sixth when Dan Milano (Northeastern, 1-4 batting, 3 RBI) hit a three-run homer to put the Kettleers down by six.
The Kettleers never really had a chance after the home run by Milano, and they quietly went down in the seventh inning to end the game. After a day off, hopefully the Kettleers bats will wak