Home runs have been very difficult to come by for the Wareham Gatemen this season. Coming into last night’s game — their 24th game of a 44-game season — the Gatemen had hit just one home run, and it came in the first game of the season. Since then, nothing.
Maybe they were saving it for when they really needed it.
The Gatemen trailed Chatham 5-3 going into the bottom of the ninth last night, in danger of dropping their fifth straight game. With Chatham closer Zack Jones (San Jose State) on the mound, it certainly didn’t look good for Wareham.
But after a walk and a single started the inning, Max Muncy (Baylor) ended Wareham’s drought in dramatic fashion. On a full-count pitch, Muncy smacked a three-run homer over the fence in left to give Wareham the walk-off 6-5 victory.
The homer was part of a big night for Muncy, who went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and the three RBI. Muncy now has a 12-game hitting streak, and his average at .287. You could have pegged him to be the one to break the home run drought — he hit three homers for the Gatemen last year, along with nine doubles.
He’s been solid again this year, and he certainly picked a good time for his best night of the season.
Also for Wareham, John Andreoli (UConn) had two hits. Andy Flett (Louisville) got the win in relief. Chatham was led by Dane Phillips (Oklahoma State) and Darrell Matthews (Cal), who had three hits apiece. Former Gateman Keith Bilodeau (Maine) started for Chatham against his old team and allowed just one earned run in six innings.
Wareham, despite its recent skid, is tied for third in the West and just a game out of second.
Elsewhere
Wareham wasn’t the only team winning in dramatic fashion.. Cotuit posted a 7-6 walk-off victory over Hyannis in 11 innings. Alex Yarbrough (Ole Miss) was the hero, with his 11th-inning double plating Torsten Boss (Michigan State) with the running run. Kendall Graveman (Mississippi State) pitched three scoreless innings of relief and got the win for Cotuit. Boss and Mike Yastrzemski (Vanderbilt) had three hits each, with Yastrzemski also driving in three runs. Joey DeMichele (Arizona State) had three hits to lead Hyannis.
Harwich lost a one-run game to Orleans on Thursday but turned the tables last night, beating the Firebirds 1-0. Taylor Rogers (Kentucky) gave up just two hits in seven shutout innings for the win. Carter Capps (Mt. Olive) worked a scoreless eighth to keep his ERA at 0.00 before Lex Rutledge (Samford) came on for the save. Kurt Heyer (Arizona) started for Orleans and allowed only two hits in five innings, but Harwich got to normally lights-out reliever Kenny Long (Illinois State) for a run in the sixth on an RBI single by Darnell Sweeney (Central Florida). The win puts Harwich at 15-9.
Bourne also posted a shutout in a 2-0 victory over Falmouth. Tommy Collier (San Jacinto JC) struck out six and allowed only two hits in six scoreless innings. Slade Smith (Auburn) continued an eight-inning scoreless streak in the seventh, Mason Melotakis (Northwest State) worked a scoreless eighth and R.J. Alvarez (Florida Atlantic) pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save. D.J. Hicks (Central Florida) gave Bourne a lead with a sac fly in the sixth, and Jason Coats (TCU) made it 2-0 with an RBI double in the seventh. Joe Bircher (Bradley) started for Falmouth and went 4.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
Y-D and Brewster played 11 innings but couldn’t settle the issue before darkness came and finished in a 4-4 tie. Jason Lamb (Washington) and Tyler Hanover (LSU) knocked in one run apiece for Y-D, while Jason Monda (Washington State) went 3-for-5 for Brewster. Starters A.J. Vanegas (Stanford) and Luke Bard (Georgia Tech) both pitched well.
What to Watch
Game: No one is very close to Hyannis in the West standings, but Bourne is the closest at eight points out, and the Braves will visit Hyannis tonight at 7 p.m. The teams have split the season series so far.
Player: Adam Brett Walker (Jacksonville) doesn’t have the highest average on the team — .270 — but he’s had a hit in 18 of 23 games. He has three home runs and leads the team with 14 RBI.
RELATED POSTS
Will, Devin Marrero, Brian Johnson, and Matt Reynolds have all arrived on the cape from Team USA as they were all in attendance at the YD game today. Marrero and Johnson will be fun to watch! We will see if Nolan Fontana arrives for Bourne.