Cotuit made up some ground in the West Division standings but not as much as it was poised for. With first-place Falmouth idle, the Kettleers beat Hyannis 11-4 in an afternoon game then took a 2-0 lead in the nightcap at Wareham before the Gatemen scored three runs over the final three innings to take a 3-2 win.
Cotuit moved within two points of Falmouth, but the loss to Wareham kept them from pulling even. There were big implications for the Gatemen, too, who now lead Hyannis by four points for the final playoff spot.
The Kettleers’ busy day opened with the finale of their season series with rival Hyannis. Having already clinched the series 3-1-1, Cotuit added one more win thanks to a 15-hit attack and solid pitching from the bullpen.
Michael Toglia (UCLA) went 3-for-4 with his fourth home run of the summer, to go with three RBI and four runs scored. Chandler Avant (Alabama) went 4-for-5 with four RBI. Terrin Vavra (Minnesota) and Luke Alexander (Mississippi State) also had multi-hit games.
Hyannis’ Hunter Stovall (Mississippi State) chased Cotuit starter Mark Moclair (Tampa) with a three-run double in the second inning, but the Cotuit bullpen was lights out. Taylor Lehman (Penn State) pitched 3.2 scoreless innings and Jayce Vancena (Michigan) worked the last four innings without allowing a run.
In Wareham, Cotuit built a 2-0 lead in the third inning on an error that allowed two runs to score. Austin Kitchen (Coastal Carolina) went 5.1 scoreless innings in protecting the lead, but the bullpen didn’t have as much success as it did earlier in the day. Wareham made it 2-1 on an error in the seventh and tied it on a Jake Anchia (Nova Southeastern) RBI single in the eighth. In the ninth, after a walk to Steven Kwan (Oregon State), Robert Metz (George Washington) hit a walk-off double to give Wareham the win.
Y-D 5, Bourne 1
In the only other game of the day, the Red Sox pulled away late for a win over Bourne and moved within one point of first-place Orleans, who was idle. Alfonso Rivas (Arizona) homered as part of a two-hit night. Kyle Isbel (UNLV), Luke Miller (Indiana) and Darren Trainor (Lewis-Clark State) also had two hits each. Karl Kauffmann (Michigan) allowed one run in 5.2 innings in the start. Brendan Nail (Western Carolina) earned the win in relief. Michael Cassala (Jacksonville) finished it off. Richard Palacios (Towson) had three hits for Bourne, which has lost four straight.
What to Watch
There may be more movement in the West, with the top four teams squaring off tonight. Cotuit hosts Bourne and Wareham welcomes Falmouth.