By Sam Blum
June 29, 2014

Reagan Bazar (Louisiana Lafayette) had thrown three straight balls to Keaton Aldridge to lead off the eighth inning. Cotuit was down just 7-6.

In his 2 1/3 innings with the Kettleers this season, Bazar had given up six runs, allowed seven hits and two walks.

So with the count 3-0, Kettleers manager Mike Roberts sternly walked up to 6-foot, 8-inch Bazar on the mound. He told him that he trusted him in a one run game, and that he needed someone that could hit his spots.

“I just thought that I needed to man up and step up to the spot,” Bazar said.

And after Roberts ran back into the dugout, Bazar’s next pitch hit the black on the lower outside corner of the plate for strike one. After a foul for strike two, he froze Aldridge to get the first out of the inning.

Bazar completed his first spotless appearance for the Kettleers in Cotuit’s (8-9) 7-6 loss at Wareham (6-11) on Sunday night.

“It’s kind of a relief to not give up a run with how it’s been so far. I was just working with not being crazy on the mound, keeping myself composed.

Bazar was one of the more highly anticipated players that came to Cotuit this summer. He hit around 100 miles per hour on the radar gun as a top late-inning reliever for Louisiana Lafayette, which led the nation with 58 wins.

But he’s been relegated to watching as Adam Whitt (Nevada) and Jeff Kinley (Michigan State) take over in the dual-closer role. Now, though, Bazar thinks that there’s still room for him to earn his way back in the mix.

“I still have to prove myself every day,” Bazar said. “Yeah there’s a chance, but those guys have been really big for us.

“But I think maybe, maybe I do.”