Hyannis takes a hit
Rainy loss to Harwich doesn’t dampen team’s spirits

 July 17, 2008


 

Written by Kathleen Szmit
 
     Some say the third time is the charm. For the Hyannis Mets, making a third attempt at hosting the Harwich Mariners at McKeon Park Monday night was anything but charmed.


Kathleen Szmit photos
ALL EARS – While waiting for the rain to go away, Hyannis players Matt Nuzzo, Chris Dominguez and Dale Cornstubble entertain themselves (and everyone else). 

     Dark clouds swirled overhead as the teams took to the field, causing fans to wonder if greater forces were determined to prevent the teams from ever playing in Hyannis.

     The game marked the third time the Mets and Mariners met at McKeon, the first two having been rescheduled due to – you guessed it – rain.

     Drew Muren had barely thrown his first pitch when the skies opened up. Set on getting the game in, players held their positions in spite of the steady rain until a flash of lightning sent them scrambling for the dugouts.

     As all but the most dedicated fans cleared the bleachers, players and coaches waited out the weather, wondering if yet another rescheduling was at hand.

An hour later the teams again took their field positions and the long-awaited game resumed.

Perhaps it was the delay, or the fact that the Mets had played 22 consecutive games with no break.
Whatever the cause, it wasn’t their best night.

While the Mariners racked up 13 hits and seven runs Hyannis could only muster three hits and three runs in the game.
Harwich plated their first runs shortly after the game’s restart, scoring two in the second inning. Hyannis wasn’t able to hit the board until the third when Curt Casali scored on a wild pitch.

Ben Paulsen brought in the second run of the night for Hyannis, opening up the fourth with his third homer of the season.
After the Mariners recorded their third run in the fifth, both teams went without a run until the seventh when Hyannis tied things up on an RBI from Michael Glantz on a single up the middle from Casey Frawley.

Just when it looked like Hyannis was back in fighting form the Mariners exploded for a four-run eighth.

Struggling pitcher Will Weidig hit his first batter, Brandon Belt, before allowing an RBI double from DJ LeMahieu, a two-run homer from Mark Fleury and a run-scoring single from Shaver Hansen.

Though looking to respond in kind, Hyannis’s bats went flat for the game’s remainder, with Matt Nuzzo and Trent Ashcraft getting out on easily fielded hits and the rest of the lineup being struck out.

Jason Franzblau proved a bright spot for Hyannis during his ninth inning outing, allowing two hits but no runs and striking out his final batter.

While the loss ended Hyannis’s five-game winning streak it didn’t shake their hold on first place in the Western Division.
In spite of a 2-0 loss to Warehem on Tuesday and an exhausting 12-inning 9-8 loss to Orleans on Wednesday, the team maintained its place at the top.

At press time Hyannis was set to face Bourne at Doran Park and was still number one with 16 wins and 12 losses – a total of 32 points, two more than second-place Bourne and three more than third-place Cotuit.

The Mets travel to Wareham tonight to face the Gatemen in a 7 p.m. game, no doubt seeking to get back to their winning ways.

 
 


 


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