HARWICH — The Harwich Mariners sure know how to finish with a flurry.

In his only at-bat of the series, pinch-hitter Mark Fleury singled in two runs in the bottom of the ninth, and Harwich came away with a 2-1 win over Cotuit and its first Cape Cod Baseball League championship in 21 years before 6,133 fans at Whitehouse Field Thursday night. 

The 2-0 series sweep of the Kettleers completed a terrific turnaround for the Mariners, who went from worst to first following their slump-ridden 14-28-2 season a year ago.

“It’s just great, a great feeling,” Harwich Field Manager Steve Englert said. “I’m happy for the team, I’m happy for the town, and I’m happy for all the people here. The team deserved it, they grinded it out all year, they never gave up.”

There was a point only a few weeks ago when Harwich lost six straight games and nearly blew its wildcard lead in the East Division. 

But the Mariners – a perfect 4-0 in the post-season – were magical down the stretch run, ending the year on an eight-game winning streak that included a CCBL playoff record 18-inning victory over Orleans in the previous game at Whitehouse Field.

Maybe most remarkable is the fact that only one of the team’s players – Chase Leavitt – was alive the last time the Mariners were crowned CCBL champs. Cape League Commissioner Paul Galop announced that piece of trivia to the crowd as he handed over the long overdue hardware

“It’s just great, a great feeling,” Harwich Field Manager Steve Englert said. “I’m happy for the team, I’m happy for the town, and I’m happy for all the people here. The team deserved it, they grinded it out all year, they never gave up.”

There was a point only a few weeks ago when Harwich lost six straight games and nearly blew its wildcard lead in the East Division. 

But the Mariners – a perfect 4-0 in the post-season – were magical down the stretch run, ending the year on an eight-game winning streak that included a CCBL playoff record 18-inning victory over Orleans in the previous game at Whitehouse Field.

Maybe most remarkable is the fact that only one of the team’s players – Chase Leavitt – was alive the last time the Mariners were crowned CCBL champs. Cape League Commissioner Paul Galop announced that piece of trivia to the crowd as he handed over the long overdue hardware. 

An emotional Englert hoisted the Arnold MyCock trophy and carried into a crush of Mariners who held, kissed and posed for photos with the prize they began searching for eight weeks and 47 games ago.

Playing six and often seven games a week, the Cape League can take a toll on players and coaches, but the Mariners chose to embrace their everyday workload, adopting an Ice Cube lyric, “I’m on the grind, baby, all the time, baby,” as their signature slogan for the season.

“This team came out to play everyday and even played when they were hurt,” said Englert. “We lost a lot of big time players (UNC star Dustin Ackley and team MVP DJ LeMahieu, to name two), but the guys didn’t care. They still came out fighting everyday.”

Harwich’s refuse-to-lose attitude was never more evident than in the final frame.
Joe Sanders triggered the club with a leadoff triple in the ninth that dropped in and ducked past sliding right fielder Evan Crawford. Brian Kemp was hit by reliever Drew Storen’s pitch, and Leavitt drew a walk off a payoff pitch to load the bases.
That’s when Englert inserted Fleury, who made the most of his short but sweet stint in the CCBL championship series. 

“I was upset I wasn’t in the starting lineup, but when it came to be my turn, I was ready,” said Fleury. “I got lucky, I got a piece of it.”
Englert’s decision to have Fleury hit for Alex Hilliard (who was hitless but put the ball in play in each of his three at-bats) proved to be the coaching move of the year, and maybe the best of his six-year tenure with the team. 

“Mark is a good fastball hitting guy, and I was just hoping he’d elevate something to tie the game,” said Englert. “But he went overboard and I’m glad he did.”
It should come as no surprise that Fleury came up clutch considering the North Carolina sophomore hit a two-run home run in the eighth that lifted the East to an 8-6 win over the West in the CCBL All-Star game three weeks ago. 

“I like being in the spotlight during the pressure moments and when it comes down to it, I feel like I can succeed,” said Fleury, the CCBL series co-MVP along with Jason Stidham, who drove in seven runs in the series opener the day before. “After Joe hit that triple, everyone in the dugout breathed a sigh of relief. We felt at that point we can do this.” 
Harwich gave no indication they could prior to that. 

They struggled against Cotuit righty Nick Hernandez (who struck out six over eight innings) and squandered two-out base hits in the second and third. All told, they stranded seven runners through the first eight innings.

Cotuit, which left eight on base, was almost equally ineffective against Harwich ace Chris Manno, who struck out nine and allowed five hits over six-and-two thirds. But the Kettleers snapped the scoreless tie in the seventh.

Dallas Poulk was hit by a pitch, reached second on a fielder’s choice and took third on an overthrow while sliding into second. Poulk then scored on Robert Stack’s sacrifice fly.

After Harwich went down in order in the seventh and eighth, it seemed like the series would shift back to Cotuit for a third and final game. But Sanders’ leadoff triple in the ninth – his first three-bagger of the year – was just the spark the Mariners needed. 

“I was just looking to get on base, I was just trying to start something for the team, because the guys hitting behind me were having a good night,” said Sanders. “We’ve had so many victories in the ninth this year that it’s suiting to end the year with a win like this, and it’s awesome.”

Moments later, Harwich (28-20) made history. As the team formed a pig pile in the infield, a throng of fans – many, like the Mariners, weren’t alive for the team’s last title, much less their last playoff appearance in 1997 – swarmed the field and joined in on the crazed coronation.

“This is great for Harwich, I’m excited for the whole town,” said Fleury. “It’s extremely sweet.”

Especially so for Englert, whose job was rumored to be in jeopardy after his five previous teams failed to produce a winning record.

“I’m so glad for (team president) Mary Henderson and (team secretary) Peg Rose and the town,” said Englert, with a million-dollar smile and a $10 cigar. “I’m taking that trophy down to the beach tomorrow and celebrating with a cooler of beer.”

The CCBL title was Harwich’s third overall, and their second championship series win over Cotuit, whom they bested three-games-to-two for their first title win of the modera era in 1983. That was a special team, as is the current one.

“What I’ll remember most about the season is the relationships I’ve formed with these guys,” said DH Andrew Giobbi, hugging teammate Billy Bullock, who added, “I’ll talk to these guys for the rest of my life.”

It’s taken 21 years, but the Mariners ship has finally come in.