HARWICH, Mass. — When the Kettleers and Mariners meet up, Cotuit has little trouble scoring runs. The fewest runs the Kettleers had scored against Harwich coming into Saturday’s contest was eight.
In the fourth meeting between the two teams, Cotuit scored half that with four runs. That proved to not be enough as the Kettleers fell 5-4, but their ability to score was the least of Cotuit coach Rob Cooper’s worries.
“You can't make five errors, you can't walk guys, you can't let them score three runs with no hits in an inning and give them a chance to stick around,” Cooper said. “We did a lot of good things, but we know why we lost and we got to get better at that.”
It seemed so promising for Cotuit early on. After the Kettleers found themselves with a 4-0 lead, a defensive collapse resulted in disappointment.
The Mariners took the lead in the ninth inning after Cotuit pitcher Ryan Buckler (transfer portal) made some mistakes. After Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe (Kent State) doubled, Buckler walked a runner before the Kettleers elected to intentionally walk another. With bases loaded, a balk gave Harwich its fifth run and the win.
“He pitched just recently, so that was short rest for him, and that's not typically something we love to do in the summer,” Cooper said about Buckler. “But he was willing to take the ball and go compete, and I told him I'll ride with him any time.”
The Mariners had tied the game in the eighth inning after pinch hitter Sean O’Leary (Massachusetts-Lowell) notched an RBI single. Before that, they scored three runs in the sixth. Harwich’s dugout was rowdy, whooping and cheering as the Mariners clawed their way out of the 4-0 deficit.
Cotuit’s runs came in the second and third innings. Isaac Sturgess (Wake Forest) singled, and an ensuing throwing error from Harwich gave the Kettleers their first run.
Tito Keifer (Ave Maria) grounded into a double play, which resulted in a run. Sam Christiansen (Alabama) recorded an RBI double, and Sturgess logged an RBI single. For Sturgess, it marked his sixth game in a row with a hit.
“What these guys are starting to learn is that there's no quick fix when you're playing every single day and you're playing with wood,” Cooper said. “You have to be willing to make adjustments, and that's what (Sturgess has) done, and that's why he's having some success.”
The Kettlers return home to face Orleans at 4:30 p.m. EDT Sunday.
