This Week in Baseball

Orleans Takes Y-D to Send Series Back to Eldredge Park
Giarratano, Hanson Save Cotuit From Wareham and Head Home

Cotuit Kettleers' shortstop Anthony Giarratano (Tulane) crushed a solo home run in the top of the 12th inning versus Wareham to even the 2002 Western Division Playoffs at 1-1. Orleans took Y-D, 2-1, to even things in the East.
Sean Walsh/CCBL 2002

Tied at 2-2 in the top of the 12th inning as the clock neared 11 p.m., Giarratano took a Kyle Parcus (Texas A&M) fastball and sent it flying over the left field wall at Wareham's Clement S. Spillane Field last night, and in so doing evened the Western Division Playoffs series at 1-1. Cotuit won by the score of 3-2, while in game 1 on Aug. 8, Wareham downed Cotuit 2-1. The Gatemen head for Cotuit's Elizabeth Lowell Park for the series finale today, Saturday, Aug. 10, at 3 p.m. It wasn't all Giarratano for the Kettleers, though. Starter Josh Banks (Florida International) pitched phenomenally well, while Eugene Espineli (Texas) took on middle relief duties and Wake Forest's Adam Hanson closed it out picking up the win. Hanson worked his way out of a bases loaded jam in the 11th and struck out Georgia Tech's Matt Murton to end the game in the bottom of the 12th.

Earlier in the day, the Orleans Cardinals visited the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox at Merrill "Red" Wilson Field before a near-record crowd of fans, and hoped to even the series versus the surging Sox.

With right-handed ace Scott Baker (Oklahoma State) on the mound, Orleans' wish was granted as the all-star allowed just one run in nine innings and garnered the complete-game, playoff victory. Baker's foe, Darric Merrell (Cal State Fullerton) pitched equally as well, also going the distance for the loss in a tight, 2-1, ball game. Orleans now sits in the driver's seat with the Eastern Division Playoffs evened up at 1-1. The Y-D Red Sox hit the road tonight for a 7 p.m. series final.

The winner of each game will advance to the 2002 Cape Cod Baseball League Championship Series, to be at a ballpark determined by today's outcomes. Should Orleans win, the Cards will host the first game on Sunday, Aug. 11, at a time to be announced later today. Should Y-D win tonight, it will have to hit the road regardless of which team wins the Western Division Playoffs crown. Both Cotuit and Wareham finished the regular season with a slightly better record than the Red Sox.

Y-D's Chris Malec (UC-Santa Barbara) turns the corner and heads for home in a tough, 2-1 loss to the visiting Orleans Cardinals in game two of the Eastern Division playoffs.
Rainne Sullivan/CCBL 2002

Orleans Cardinals' third baseman Myron Leslie (South Florida) winces on a called strike, but the Cards took home victory, 2-1, in game two of the Eastern Division playoffs yesterday afternoon at Merrill "Red" Wilson Field.
Rainne Sullivan/CCBL 2002