With their season complete, players on the Hyannis Mets put away their bats, packed their bags and bid their host families heartfelt goodbyes as they headed home. While a new school year awaits, and even new schools for some, lasting memories were made during their season in the sun on Cape Cod.

On Saturday the Mets had their final game with the Cotuit Kettleers in what turned out to be a well-played, exciting match in spite of their 3-2 loss. 

The Mets hit the scoreboard early in the game with Sean O’Brien singling to bring in James Darnell and give the Mets a 1-0 lead. 

On the mound, All-Star pitcher Charlie Furbush was again stellar, striking out the side on just 13 pitches in the first inning. Furbush allowed only one hit during four innings; Tony Thomas Jr. of the Kettleers got one past him. Furbush quickly retaliated by throwing Thomas out as he attempted to steal second. 

Unfortunately for the Mets, the Kettleers refused to go quietly, exploding in the fifth and putting three runs on the board.

A late-game rally by the Mets gave the Cotuit crowd pause, adding a good surge of drama to the game’s finale when Jared McGuire kicked things off in the ninth with a base hit. 

Matt Mangini heightened the tension when he gave the ball a good crack before James Darnell put them in scoring position with a sacrifice. 

When Kettleers reliever Dan Runzler loaded the bases after hitting Ryan Flaherty, it was time for Cotuit to be very, very afraid. A collective gasp went up with Ramon Corona’s single to left, bringing in McGuire while Mangini attempted to come around from second. Although Mangini gave it his all, a tight throw by Kellen Kulbacki allowed Cotuit catcher Sean Gaston to tag him out just in time.

On Sunday the Mets faced the Falmouth Commodores in their final appearance, falling 5-3. The game, however, did not come without a bright moment: Matt Mangini was presented with the Thurman Munson Award, named for the late CCBL alumnus and Yankees great, given annually to the league’s top hitter. 

Mangini went 0-for-3 in the game, so it was assumed that he had been dropped from the race for the award but late results came in from the Lower Cape revealing that Orleans catcher Matt Wieters had gone 0-for-4, placing Mangini on top with .310.

Mangini becomes the first Hyannis Mets player to take home the title since CCBL Hall of Famer and Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek hit .371 during the 1993 season when he was named MVP. Mangini earned himself a slot in the League’s history books as his .310 average counts as the lowest since the modern era of the League began in 1963.

With the final game played, players began their exodus from Cape Cod on Monday, vowing to stay in touch with host families and new friends. What the future holds is uncertain, but there is no doubt that many of the players of today will surely become the stars of tomorrow.

By Kathleen Szmit Manwaring
kmanwaring@barnstablepatriot.com