Sports

Commodores Hit Up Hyannis For 7-3 Win

 July 12, 2005


 


After a few games of sputtering with the sticks, the Falmouth Commodores’ offense found itself over the last two games as the local entrant in the Cape Cod Baseball League and busted out for 20 runs over their last two games, which both resulted in wins. Last night Falmouth staked itself to an early 3-0 lead and never looked back as they easily handled Hyannis, 7-3. That came on the heels of a 13-0 shellacking of Cotuit a day earlier.

Falmouth is back to flirting with the .500 mark as they improved to 10-11-1 on the season (21 points) after defeating the Mets at Sandwich High School before a large crowd of 3,600-plus. Each season Hyannis moves one of its home games to SHS in order to bring Cape League baseball to the neighboring town. The Commodores remained two points behind Cotuit, which defeated division-leading Bourne by a 4-3 score yesterday afternoon.

First baseman Mark Hamilton (Tulane) kick-started the offense for the Commodores in the first inning with a three-run homer over the short porch in left-center field. The homer was the third of the season for Hamilton, who is climbing the ladder in all of the Cape League’s triple crown categories.

The rally began with a single by Chad Huffman (Texas Christian) to center field off of Hyannis starter Adrian Alaniz (Texas), who was making his season debut after playing for the NCAA national champions. Alaniz then plunked Falmouth’s Shelby Ford (Texas Christian) in the arm, which resulted in the infielder’s having to leave the game. Alaniz then fell behind Hamilton and grooved a 3-1 fastball on the outer half of the dish that the big first baseman sent over the wall to give his team a quick lead.

Hyannis would post single runs in the first and third innings against Falmouth starter Sam Demel (Texas Christian), who would then settle in nicely as he worked five strong for the Commodores. Hyannis would touch Demel for two earned runs on four hits while the right-hander fanned seven and walked three. Demel ran into some trouble in the fifth, but Demel worked out of it. After giving up a single and a walk to the first two men, a double play ball seriously helped Demel’s cause. He then would walk the next two batters, to load the sacks, but then escaped any trouble by striking out the cleanup man, Kyle Norrid (Memphis).

Falmouth had added to its 3-2 lead with two in the fifth on run-scoring hits by Matt Antonelli (Wake Forest) and Warren McFadden (Tulane). With one down, and Brian Bocock (Stetson) on second, Antonelli doubled to the gap in left-center to plate a run. Then, with two away, McFadden banged a 1-2 hanging curveball into right for an RBI single.

The Commodores would go on to add a pair in the seventh, with one run coming on one of the strangest baseball plays witnessed in the CCBL this year. With two down, Huffman singled and then scored on a McFadden double to right-center. Hamilton then walked, to men on first and second, which set the stage for the weirdest single of Jon Still’s (Stetson) career. Still smashed a come-backer to the mound, which was fielded cleanly by reliever Chris Duke (San Diego CC) but stuck in the webbing of Duke’s glove. 

With no other options, Duke flung his glove -- with the ball in it -- to the first baseman. As the ball landed in the arms of Andrew D’Allessio (Clemson), the ball popped out and fell to the ground. Still was ruled safe with an infield single, and McFadden hustled around from second to score.

Against Cotuit, on Sunday, Falmouth pounded out 13 hits and scored 13 times as they dominated the Kettleers at Lowell Park. Starting pitcher Stephen Faris improved to 2-0 and lowered his ERA to just 0.60 as he worked eight innings of two-hit ball with five K’s. 

Catcher Mike Ambort (Lamar) led the attack with three RBIs while both Hamilton and Still had three base hits with two runs knocked in. Brian Friday (Rice) also had his first home run of the season for the Commodores.

Falmouth will be back in action this evening with a makeup game of Friday’s rain-out in Harwich at 7 PM. The Commodores then host Cotuit tomorrow at 7 PM, before hitting the road for the first of three straight road games as they travel to Brewster Thursday afternoon.


 


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