In the wake of their win of the Barnstable Patriot Cup, the Cotuit Kettleers were unprepared to suffer a loss at the hands of the team at the bottom of the proverbial totem pole. On Monday, that’s exactly what happened when the Bourne Braves took the Kettleers 2-0. 

Cotuit mustered just three hits during the make-up game in Bourne, unable to render any offense against the Braves. 

The Kettleers fell behind early in the game as Cotuit’s starting pitcher Graham Godfrey struggled to contain the Braves’ bats. In the second inning Godfrey allowed a walk and then threw past the second baseman on a sacrifice bunt, allowing Harwich to get into scoring position with no outs on the board.

Harwich quickly racked up two runs, giving them a lead that Cotuit couldn’t shake.

Cotuit faced Bourne again on Tuesday on home turf at Lowell Park. This time it was a game of a few errors and encroaching darkness as the game went into extra innings and Cotuit showed the Braves who is boss.

After a quick first inning, the game remained scoreless. In the second, however, the Kettleers bats came alive, bringing in two runs and putting Cotuit in the lead. Sean Gaston had a nice slide into second on a single from Kellen Kulbacki and a bunt by Tony Thomas Jr. brought in Kulbacki. 

Bourne notched a run in the third but the Kettleers remained determined. In the fifth Eric Farris smacked a great double to bring in Thomas and regain Cotuit’s two-run lead. 

Shane Matthews was impressive on the mound, holding the Braves to their one run in the five plus innings he pitched. 

The score was unchanged until the eighth inning when the Braves rallied, netting an RBI, bringing Cotuit’s lead to one run.

The Braves then tied the game in the ninth, turning up the heat and dialing up the drama. The crowd roared into action as they encouraged Cotuit to do the same when the game went into the tenth inning, and then the eleventh.

Closer Cory Gearrin threw a quick succession of strikes to shut the Braves down, bringing the crowd noise to a new level. When Justin Smoak stepped to the plate, the energy in the air was tangible. 

Smoak clocked in a double while the crowd cheered wildly, followed by a single from Jeff Rea. Knowing that it could mean trouble, slugger Gaston was thrown a walk, much to his disappointment, although it loaded the bases for Kyle Russell. 

Unfortunately Russell struck out on a questionable pitch that appeared to be ball four, bringing Reese Havens to the plate. With the crowd behind him and his teammates on base and ready to run, Havens brought the count to two and two before cracking a neat single past the Braves’ diving second baseman, bringing in Smoak for the win and the fans to their feet.

The Kettlers still hold the top spot in the Western Division. They face the Cardinals tonight in Orleans.

By Kathleen Szmit Manwaring
kmanwaring@barnstablepatriot.com