Cotuit Keeps on Keepin’ On Atop the Western Division

By Megan Kerr/Asst. Web Editor
July 18, 2006

SOUTH YARMOUTH , MA — Merrill “Red” Wilson Field has a cold pallor cast across it last night as the Western Division-leading Cotuit Kettleers snapped Y-D’s nine-game winning streak, 6-5.

The Kettleers now stand at 18-7-1 atop the Western Division.

In spite of the relatively moderate score, the combined hitting of both teams — 21 hits and five home runs — made it appear otherwise.

But Cotuit managed to outslug the Eastern Division leading Red Sox as the Kettleers’ bats continue to punish opposing pitchers. Cotuit again started off quickly as Sean Gaston (Notre Dame, 2 for 3, 2 RBI) started off the hitting exhibition with a two-run homerun, his second of the season, over the right field fence against Red Sox starter Nolan Gallagher (Stanford, 1BB, 6K, 7H) to give the Kettleers an early two-run lead. An early deficit didn’t seem to bother the Red Sox as they immediately put pressure on Cotuit starter Graham Godfrey (College of Charleston, 2BB, 4K, 8H), who picked up his first win of the season, in the second inning.

Michael Bianucci (Auburn, 2 for 4, 1 RBI), who came into the game tied for second on his team with a .303 batting average, started off the second inning with a homerun to right field off of Godfrey. With their lead down to one, Cotuit responded in the fourth inning as Justin Smoak (South Carolina, 2 for 4, 3 RBI) killed the ball to deep right field to give the Kettleers three more runs on the day and to increase his team leading RBI’s to sixteen on the season. With Cotuit leading five to one it appeared that the Kettleers were going to cruise to victory, but Y-D kept chipping at Cotuit’s lead as they refused to go down quietly.

The Red Sox were able to cut Cotuit’s lead to one again with a homerun by Michael Taylor (Stanford, 1 for 3, 1 RBI) and a two-run double by Evan McArthur (Cal St Fullerton , 1 for 4, 2 RBI). Coach Roberts then called upon Tim Ladd (Georgia Tech, 0BB, 1 K, 1 H) to stop the bleeding, which he was able to do as he quickly restored order by pitching three scoreless innings for the Kettleers. The Red Sox again seemed to be put away as they came up to the ninth inning down by two after a homerun by Kellen Kulbacki (James Madison, 2 for 5, 1 RBI), which was his second this week as Kulbacki appears to be heating up, but Y-D continued to show their resiliency.

Cory Gearrin (Young Harris, 2BB, 2K, 1H) was called upon to close the game out for the Kettleers, but Cotuit fans were made a little nervous after pinch hitter Danny Lehmann (Rice, 1 for 1, 1 RBI), with one out, hit a homerun over the left field scoreboard to cut Cotuit’s lead to one. Then, after striking out the next batter, Gearrin walked the next two to put the tying run in scoring position for Brad Emaus (Tulane, 2 for 4). Gearrin then picked up his 24 th strikeout of the year by striking out Emaus to pick up his fifth save of the year and to secure Cotuit’s eighteenth victory of the season. Y-D now travels to Lowell Park where hopefully the Kettleers will be able to continue their solid play.