BOURNE, Mass. — When Cotuit and Bourne meet up on the diamond, Kettleers fans can’t help but groan.
The Braves have bested Cotuit in the semifinals of the playoffs the last three years in a row, and in a dramatic 10-inning contest, they emerged victorious again, winning 4-3 on Wednesday in Bourne.
“You gotta keep playing, (and) you gotta keep grinding,” Cotuit coach Rob Cooper said. “This game is an awesome game because it's so mentally challenging, and our guys just kept fighting. We played hard the whole game, and it just didn't go our way.”
The first time the Kettleers and Braves met up this season, they tied (3-3) in a seven-inning affair that was called for darkness at Lowell Park. Late into the night and under the bright lights at Doran Park, Cotuit could only hope for a tie.
The Kettleers had those hopes dashed in the bottom of the 10th inning when Blake Schaaf (Wake Forest) singled, driving in the winning run for Bourne.
The game had been pushed into extra innings after a dramatic sequence of events in the bottom of the ninth. With Lee Ellis (Ohio State) on third base, Cotuit pitcher Luke McGrath (James Madison) threw eight balls in nine pitches to walk two and load the bases. Needing one more out to escape, the Kettleers called on Kyle Kipp (Boston College).
“He loves pitching in high-leverage situations,” Cooper said of Kipp. “I love our chances when he's got the ball.”
In his very first pitch, it seemed as if Kipp may have hit Luke Costello (Wake Forest). Ellis trotted toward home plate as the Kettleers faithful were up in arms. The umpires got together to discuss and called it a foul ball, keeping Cotuit’s hopes alive. A few moments later, Costello flied out to right field, sending the game to extras.
“I thought (the ball) hit his knob the whole time, and I think everybody else out there did…” Hunter Warren (NC State) said. “(We) just kind of told (Kipp) to stay locked in and not give in.”
Cotuit and Bourne played a competitive contest that featured four lead changes and three ties before the madness ensued toward the end.
The Kettleers got on the board quickly with a run in the initial frame. After Dawson Park (LSU) recorded a leadoff double, Warren notched an RBI single to give Cotuit a 1-0 lead and some early confidence.
“It was good,” Warren said. “It helps our pitcher out a lot. Go out there, get a lead and let him settle in a little bit.”
The Braves tied the game in the third inning when Andrew Costello (Wake Forest) whacked an RBI double. Luke Costello followed with a sacrifice fly to bring in a run and give Bourne a 2-1 lead.
In the fourth, Warren came home on a sacrifice fly from Ryan Tyranski (Cincinnati) to tie the game at two runs before JJ Moran (Stanford) singled to give Cotuit a 3-2 lead.
Brice Estep (Coastal Carolina) responded in the seventh with a home run to tie the game yet again.
“We just gotta keep showing up every day,” Warren said. “We're not far out of games. Some things are just not going our way right now, and if we keep showing up every day, eventually those are going to start to click.”
Cotuit will take a day off before facing Orleans at 5 p.m. Friday in Cotuit.
