FALMOUTH, Mass. — Cotuit faced a tall task Friday, playing a doubleheader with both games on the road. After falling 7-1 to Wareham in Game 1, the Kettleers had to put it behind them. This proved to be easier said than done, as Cotuit fell 5-3 to the Commodores in Game 2.
The Kettleers have now lost nine of their last 10 games, and as they have struggled, Wareham has seen a resurgence. The Gatemen also competed in a doubleheader, winning both games. With Wareham’s 9-1 victory over Bourne, the Gatemen sit in fourth place in the Cape Cod West Division while the Kettleers sit in fifth.
The Kettleers gave themselves a chance against Falmouth with runners on second and third base in the ninth inning. However, Sam Christiansen (Alabama) flew out as Cotuit experienced heartbreak yet again. Cotuit coach Rob Cooper said he felt proud nonetheless, and he chose to highlight the good moments. One of them came in the fifth inning.
Tyler Bellan (Wheaton), who had been working as Cotuit’s bullpen catcher, earned the opportunity to suit up for the Kettleers. He made his first start on July 13, but he had yet to record a hit.
As he stepped up to bat against the Commodores, all he wanted to do was get a run in. He delivered, notching an RBI single for his first hit. He described the moment as “awesome,” stating that he felt “relieved.” As Bellan gave the Kettleers a 1-0 lead, Cooper delivered the ball to Bellan’s dad.
“That’s definitely cool to have down the road, and (I'm) very appreciative of the staff for getting that for me,” Bellan said.
Cotuit scored its other two runs courtesy of a sacrifice fly from Aiden Aguayo (UCLA) in the fifth inning and a home run from Jesse DiMaggio (Dallas Baptist) in the sixth. It marked the second homer of the summer for DiMaggio.
“Jesse DiMaggio really thought about (shutting) it down and (going) home,” Cooper said. “He's like, ‘No, I want to finish it out,’ and he hits that home run. That's the kind of stuff that is going to pay dividends, and that's the kind of stuff that's fun to watch as a coach.”
Falmouth smashed a homer of its own when AJ Putty (Illinois) left the yard in the fifth. The Commodores rode the momentum to snatch the lead from Cotuit and hold it.
The Kettleers are now a game back of Wareham with three remaining in the regular season. They return to action, desperate for a win, at 6:05 p.m. EDT Saturday in Hyannis.
“I'm super excited about the opportunity to play again tomorrow and until we don't have any games left,” Cooper said. “I think the way we responded in this game after losing to Wareham… we played really well (but) came up short. I think our guys will come ready to play tomorrow.”
