By Kathleen Szmit
kszmit@barnstablepatriot.com

     Things are getting interesting in the race for the Barnstable Patriot Cup. After the Mets evened out the score last week, all eyes were on this week’s Fourth of July battle to see who would get the leg up.

     The answer? Neither, as Wednesday’s game ended in a 4-4 tie. With only three games left in the competition and Barnstable’s two CCBL teams playing well, the trophy is up for grabs.

     The Mets took an early lead thanks to Cotuit errors and solid hits. Scott Elmendorf was the first to cross the plate, immediately followed by Shane Peterson on a beautiful triple from Mets third baseman James Darnell. Elmendorf had reached first on an overthrow by Cotuit’s Reese Havens, while Peterson singled before both advanced on a balk from Kettleers pitcher Mike Cisco. 

     Drama ensued in the second inning when outfielder Mike Bianucci collided with a teammate in an attempt to catch a fly ball, suffering a hit to the face. Ever the athlete, Bianucci eventually got to his feet and managed to stay in the game.

     Cotuit snared a run in the top of the third when Correy Figueroa was brought in on a super double from Josh Harrison, before the Mets answered sharply when Shane Peterson clocked his first homer of the season, nearly hitting the target just past the left field fence. 

     With fierce determination, Cotuit rallied and brought the score to 4-3 on hits from Ryne White, Reese Havens, Ryan Lollis and Robert Stock. 

     White bolstered the Kettleers when he smacked a double in the sixth, followed by a walk from Aaron Baker. Next up, Reese Havens hit a nice infield single, before teammate Lollis brought in two runs with his single to center field. 

     Cotuit edged in front in the seventh, bringing the score to 4-3. Figueroa made it to first on a Mets error, snagged second on a sacrifice and came home on a double by Robert Stock.

     Though between the weather and the Kettleers rally things looked bleak for Hyannis, Dan Brewer stepped to the plate against Cotuit reliever Josh Lindblom, cracking a homer for the tying run at the bottom of the eighth. 

     With the score locked and the game set to end after the eight due to weather, the Mets loaded the bases but were prevented from plating the winning run by Lindblom’s two-out strikeouts, ending the game at 4-4.

     The teams, considered tied in the Patriot Cup race, face each other for game four next Saturday at Lowell Field in Cotuit with a 5 p.m. start time.