COTUIT — Never underestimate what a little rest can do for a team, especially the Harwich Mariners. 

Following a two-day break after their 18-inning affair against Orleans, Harwich’s rejuvenated nine scored early and often en route to an 11-2 win over Cotuit in the opening game of the Cape Cod Baseball League championship series at Lowell Field last Wednesday. 

The rest we got was huge,” Harwich Manager Steve Englert said. “Guys were cramping up after the 18 inning game, so those two days off really, really helped us.”

Eight of Harwich’s nine hitters had at least one hit, as the Mariners slugged three runs in the second, five in the third and never looked back to move within one win of their first CCBL championship since 1987. 

“That was a big win and it was nice to get on the board early and put some pressure on them,” Englert said.

Number nine hitter Jason Stidham paced Harwich’s 16-hit parade with a 3-for-3, seven RBI afternoon, and was the game’s surprise star considering the Florida State second baseman hit .155 with only eight RBIs in the team’s previous 46 games.

“The guys in front of me were hitting the ball well today and it gave me an opportunity to drive them in,” said Stidham. “I sat back on the ball, saw it well and it was probably the best day I’ve had since I’ve been here.”

Stidham singled in a pair of runs in the second, tripled home two more in the third, singled in another two in the fifth, and just for good measure, sealed Harwich’s scoring with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. 

“He’s a sneaky number nine hitter, probably the sneakiest nine-hole guy in the country,” Englert said. “He didn’t have a great summer swinging the bat, but he’s had a lot of quality at-bats even though he hasn’t had a lot to show for it. He’s barreled up a lot of balls, and I’m glad it paid off for him finally.”

Shaver Hansen, Tommy Medica, Joe Sanders and Alex Hilliard each had two hits and Chase Leavitt had three while scoring four runs. 

The Mariners’ double-digit total was something of a shock given they went 25 consecutive innings without a run in their 2-0 series sweep over Orleans, scoring four runs in the first inning of game one and one run in the 18th in game two. 

“That’s the way this is down here, you never know what’s going to happen,” said Englert. 
That’s why he ordered Hansen, who singled and moved over two bags to start the contest, to steal home. But Seth Blair’s pitch made it to the plate in time for Joe Lewis to apply the tag on an action-packed, inning-ending play. 

“We were trying to get the lead early, especially in a big game like this,” said Englert. 
The failed plan was a distant memory after Sanders scored on a passed ball for Harwich’s first run and Stidham’s first single brought home two more in the second.

The Mariners bats were even better in the third, as Belt, Brian Kemp and Leavitt each drove in a run before Stidham teed off again on Blair (who gave up 13 hits and 10 runs in five-and-a-third) with a two-run shot to make it 8-0.

Game over.

“They played great, blew us out and gave us a taste of humble pie,” Cotuit Field Manager Mike Roberts said. “We helped them a little bit, but they won it, they were better than us by far and I congratulate them.”

Slightly overshadowed by the Mariners offensive outburst was the near peerless performance by Michael Morrison, who struck out five and held the Kettleers scoreless through the first six innings.

Morrison, who worked his way into the starting rotation after coming out of the bullpen at the start of the summer, gave up six hits on two runs, both of which came on Robert Stock’s insignificant two-run shot in the seventh.

“Morrison had a great outing, and he’s done that all year for us,” Englert said. “The last four times out he’s been outstanding.”

Following his lead, Josh Eidell struck out the side in order in the eighth. And for all his prowess at the plate, Stidham was just as good in the field, particularly in the sixth when he assisted all three outs.