Sports

Kettleer's Off And Running In First Place

 30 June 2006


 

     Wareham has kept pace at the top of the Western Division standings but in head-to-head play the Kettleers defeated the Gatemen 7-2 in their one meeting so far back on June 19.

     "We've come together as a group," Cotuit Caoch Mike Roberts points out. "The players have been extremely cooperative in working together and they like each other and they've accepted my philosophy of what I think it takes to be a team in the Cape League. They are doing a great job."

     James Simmons (Cal State - Riverside), one of the top pitchers in the early going this summer in the Cape League went seven innings Tuesday in the Kettleer's 4-0 victory over Orleans. Simmons (2-0) held the Cardinals to just three hits while striking out eight running his streak to 15 scoreless innings on the mound.

     Meanwhile first baseman Justin Smoak (South Carolina) hit his third home run of the summer in just his fifth Cape League game.

     Cotuit broke the game open in the fifth when Jeff Rea (Mississippi State) drove in the first run of the game. Smoak followed with his two-run fence-clearing blast and the Kettleers cruised the rest of the way. Rea and Matt Angle (Ohio State) finished the night 2-for-4. 

     Kettleer pitching blanked the Mariners 3-0 Monday. Jay Brown (Young Harris) went five frames allowing just two hits picking up the win. Matt Costello (Iona) came on for an innings and a third surrendering one hit before turning it over to Cory Gearrin (Young Harris) who held Harwich hitless for two and two-thirds innings.

     Cotuit got on the scoreboard in the third when Brett Lilley (Notre Dame) scored on a triple by Rea. Smoak led off the fourth frame with a double into left field and scored on a ground out by Sean Gaston (Notre Dame). Smoak then added a little insurance in the sixth with a solo shot that cleared the right field fence. He finished the day 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

     The Kettleer infield turned four double plays as Brown, Costello and Gearrin got ground balls from the Mariners allowing just to balls out of the infield.

     Rain gave most teams a two-day break Saturday and Sunday as the entire Cape League schedule was washed out. But there was no day off for the Kettleers Saturday as Coach Mike Roberts had his team at Sportsite in Sandwich. A certified spinning instructor, Roberts gave many of his players their first spinning workout.

     "I've been doing it for years," Roberts smiled. "I first began taking baseball teams to spin at the University of North Carolina at Ashville in 2000 and the players loved it. It's a wonderful workout and keeps them from having to do so much running."

     Spinning fits well with Coach Roberts approach to team building. Saturday some players who were initially apprehensive left Sportsite with smiles and laughter.

     "I think we all need to be creative," Roberts continued. "We had a couple of days of rain and we weren't going to get on the field. I hope to take them three or four times this year. It's a team building thing, something we're always working on."

     Friday, before the rains came, the Kettleers suffered just their second loss of the season, in a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Brewster. The only other loss Cotuit has was to Brewster back on June 16. All the ingredients were there Friday for the Kettleers with the exception of timely hitting. Cotuit knocked out nine hits, but left nine runners stranded.

     Christian Staehley (Princeton) got the start and went seven innings allowing three runs on six hits. Costello pitched a scoreless eighth.

     Cotuit trailed 3-0 entering the ninth went Tony Thomas (Florida State) sparked a rally with a lead-off single. He later scored on a single into centerfield by Gaston. Rea then singled to center scoring Angle. The inning and the game ended when Kellen Kulbacki (James Madison) struckout looking with runners on first and second.

     Brewster was helped by a Jason Corder (Cal-Berkley) home run to lead off the fourth. Sean Seibert (Arkansas) got the win for the Whitecaps.

     Kyle Russell (Texas) finished the day 2-for-4 for the Kettleers with Rea 2-for-5 with an RBI.

     According to former Cape League historian Bruce Hack, the Kettleers were the first team since Chatham on August 4 and 5, 2005 to score 12 or more runs in consecutive games when they scored 17 and 12 runs on June 21 and 22. It was the first time Cotuit scored in double digits in consecutive games since July 19 and 20, 2002. Since 1990 the 17 runs are the most Cotuit has scored in a game. The previous best over the last 16 seasons was 16 runs scored. Reese Havens (South Carolina) hit 2 home runs June 21 against Orleans, to become the first Kettleer to accomplish that since Bryan Harris (Cal. St. Fullerton) hit 2 against Bourne on July 8, 2004.

     The team is waiting to hear the status of three players at the Team USA tryouts. Shortstop Tony Delmonico (Tennessee), outfielder Julio Borbon (Tennessee) and closer Daniel Moskos (Clemson), if they are not selected for the national team will be back at Lowell Park this summer.


 


Back to CapeNews.net home page

50 Depot Avenue - Falmouth MA 02540 - Phone 508-548-4700

© Copyright 2006 Falmouth Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.