story by Steve McCarthy
June 27, 2010
HARWICH – After losing 3-2 on a walk-off hit for the second time in four games, the Cotuit Kettleers willed out an 8-7 win in the nightcap of Sunday’s doubleheader in Harwich.
The Kettleers stranded Harwich baserunners on first and second in the seventh and final inning after losing nearly all of their eight run lead built in the first two innings.
The twinbill paired the last place teams in the two Cape Cod Baseball League divisions. With the split, Cotuit (4-9-1) advanced one point ahead of Wareham in the Western Division, which had its second game of a doubleheader at Chatham fogged out. Harwich (5-9-0) trails Orleans by two points in the East.
“The first game was a tough loss, but it happens. It’s part of baseball,” Cotuit’s Jordan Leyland (UC-Irvine) said. “The second game, we came out in that first inning and slugged it, and that’s the way we should play every game.”
Cotuit right-hander Matt Andriese (UC-Riverside) had been used only in a starting role this summer, but adapted his normal bullpen day to complete a 2.1 inning save. Andriese came on to get a critical third out with Harwich’s tying run on third base in the fifth inning and allowed one hit in the outing.
“I came on one time this spring in relief,” Andriese said. “It was a game with the bases loaded, same situation like that. I kind of just settled down a little bit and threw strikes.”
Andriese was the West Coast Collegiate League’s Pitcher of the Year last summer and worked 103.2 innings at school this spring. He has thrown 15.1 innings through three appearances for Cotuit.
“My body actually feels good. My arm feels very well,” Andriese said. “Hopefully it just holds together the rest of the summer.”
Cotuit’s bats came out firing in the second game as they posted six runs in the first inning. The Kettleers jumped all over Harwich starting pitcher Kyle McKenzie (0-1, Tulane), who got just one out and saw his 7.72 ERA balloon to 27.00 in the loss.
Cotuit sent eleven batters to the plate in the opening frame and C.J. Cron (Utah) recorded two base hits in the inning. Levi Hyams (Georgia) drove in the first two runs with a line drive up the middle and Michael Faulkner (Arkansas St.) hit an RBI single.
Leyland and Joey Hainsfurther (Baylor) singled in the second inning to push across what proved to be valuable insurance runs.
“We’ve got good speed in our lineup now with some new guys coming in, and we’ve got great power,” Leyland said. “There’s a lot of protection all around the lineup.”
The Mariners steadily chipped away at the deficit, scoring three runs in the second inning and two in the third and the fifth.
Cotuit starting pitcher Joe Robinson (Southern Nevada JC) surrendered five runs, of which four were earned, in two-plus innings. Reliever David Colvin (2-0, Pomona-Pitzer) worked the same amount and picked up the win, despite allowing Harwich’s final two runs.
Kyle McMillen (Kent St.) faced three batters in the fifth inning before Andriese entered.
In the first game, Cotuit took a 2-0 lead into the sixth inning only to see Harwich’s Clint Moore (Army) pull out a two-run game-winning single in the seventh.
Cotuit’s Brooks Pinckard (0-1, Baylor) inherited a 2-1 ballgame in the home half of the sixth and blew the save.
The Kettleers scored both of their runs in the fourth inning, which was enough of a cushion for starting pitcher Matt Murray (Georgia Southern). Murray struck out nine through five and one-third innings and was not responsible for Harwich’s first run.
Leyland and Cron hit RBI doubles as part of Cotuit’s five-hit output. Three of the hits came in the fifth inning.
Harwich’s three runs were scored on four hits.
Daniel Burawa (St. Johns) ended up with the win for the Mariners, pitching an inning in relief of starter Andrew Leenhouts (Northeastern), who struck out seven.
Cotuit has an off day Monday before traveling to Chatham on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. game.