By John S. Condakes
JUNE 18, 2008
SOUTH YARMOUTH — So much for the perfect season. Cotuit’s local nine fell to the no longer winless Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, 9-8 Wednesday evening in a contest that lacked the usual quality pitching Kettleer fans have quickly grown accustomed to. Mario Hollands of UC Santa Barbara took the mound for the Kettleers and suffered the loss as he never really got into the groove in this outing. The Kettleer offense was in full swing in the second inning as left fielder Mike Bianucci and catcher Dan Black (both from Auburn) were hit by a pitch and center fielder Brett Jackson (UC Berkeley) walked to load the bases for shortstop Robbie Shields of Florida Southern. Shields cracked a bases clearing, two out double to put the Kettleers up 3-0. In the next inning, Bianucci took full advantage of the wind blowing out to left field and launched a towering solo homerun into the woods to put Cotuit up 4-0.
Unfortunately for the Kettleers, the home team would get right back in the game. Hollands got into trouble early in the bottom of the third as the Red Sox loaded the bases with nobody out. Andy Wilkins of Arkansas got Yarmouth-Dennis on the board with an RBI single and his teammate followed with a bases clearing double to tie the score at 4. The Red Sox would duplicate their efforts the next inning and put up another four spot to take an 8-4 lead on a combination of base hits and singles. Cotuit’s Kevin Castner (Cal Poly) was less than effective in his first appearance.
Cotuit chipped away at the Yarmouth-Dennis lead as Bianucci knocked in a run on an RBI fielder’s choice to make the score 8-5. The home team manufactured the game winning run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Alabama’s Josh Rutledge making it 9-5 in favor of the Red Sox. The score remained the same until the seventh when Cotuit broke through for three more runs. Third baseman Jeff Kobernus (UC Berkeley) knocked in Shields on an RBI groundout and Dallas Poulk of NC State scored on a wild pitch. Jeff Schaus of Clemson continued his clutch hitting and added an RBI single to make the score 9-8 but that it how it would end. The Kettleers tried to muster an attack in the eighth and ninth but had runners caught stealing in both innings. The loss was Cotuit’s first of the season as they hit the road tonight to Orleans’ Eldredge Park for a 7:00 p.m. makeup game. The Chatham A’s visit Lowell Park tomorrow night at 5:00 p.m.