HYANNIS, Mass. — After falling to fifth place in the Cape Cod West Division, the Kettleers needed a win to boost their chance of making the playoffs. After a gritty battle that featured multiple home runs and a coach ejection, the Kettleers defeated the Harbor Hawks 15-8 on Saturday for their first victory since July 24.

With the game tied 7-7 in the eighth inning, Tito Kiefer (Ave Maria) stepped up to bat. The moment wasn’t glamorous, but he recorded a sacrifice bunt. That, paired with a throwing error from Hyannis, gave the Kettleers an 8-7 advantage.

“We had runners on first and second, so that was the go-to move right there,” Kiefer said. “The only thing I was really thinking about was just getting it down. That's all the job was, and I knew what I had to do for the team.”

Kiefer also recorded his first hit with Cotuit earlier in the game, as he notched a single in the second inning. He joined the Kettleers late after playing in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.

“I got a call from Coach Coop, and he invited me over here,” Kiefer said. “I got really blessed to have this opportunity and was super excited about it, said yes immediately. I got here as fast as I could, and now we're here.”

Cotuit expanded its lead in the eighth, and Ryan Tyranski (Cincinnati) put the nail in the coffin after drilling his second home run of the season. It whizzed out of the yard at 104 miles per hour, sailed 384 feet and drove in three runs to give Cotuit a 15-7 lead.

“I was looking for a fastball. (I) got it and obviously turned on it,” Tyranski said. “I wasn't trying to hit a home run, but (I) got a little lucky and put bat-to-ball and just powered it over.”

Tyranski wasn’t the only Kettleer to leave the yard against Hyannis. In fact, he marked the third. Landon Beaver (UAB) homered on the very first pitch of the game, and he now leads Cotuit with four home runs.

“It was pretty cool,” Beaver said. “First-ever leadoff home run for me. I’ve only ever led off the game twice, and it's been this summer.”

Beaver hit the ball at 99 miles per hour, and it traveled 391 feet. The last time he led off a game, he went 0-for-5. The home run marked a great start, and it was just that — the start. Beaver ended the game with three hits and three RBI. He walked twice and stole a base.

“It's probably my best day all summer,” Beaver said. “I mean, it was a really good day. I was more happy about my backside double than my homer, to be honest, because that was a pretty elite swing in my opinion.”

Sam Christiansen (Alabama) smashed his first home run of the season in the fifth to give the Kettleers a 6-0 lead. The ball traveled 98 miles per hour and 400 feet.

Before Tyranski’s long ball broke the game open, Hyannis had tied things up at seven runs apiece in the seventh inning. The Harbor Hawks chipped away at Cotuit’s 6-0 lead, scoring two runs in the fifth inning and three in the sixth.

The Kettleers knew what was at stake, and emotions became heightened as Hyannis mounted a comeback. They boiled over when Cotuit coach Rob Cooper got ejected after arguing with an umpire.

“It fired me up (and) definitely fired a bunch of other guys up,” Beaver said. “Having coach Coop have our back, we're gonna have his, and that's a guy you want to play for.”

The ejection didn’t faze the Kettleers, as they rose to the occasion. Several players and moments stuck out as the offense exploded. From Hogan Denny (Indiana) and Beaver each logging three hits to the team scoring a season-high 15 runs to the pitching staff combining for 12 strikeouts, Cotuit was firing on all cylinders.

A 12-1 Wareham victory means the Kettleers remain fifth in the division, but they keep the Gatemen in their sights.

Cotuit is set to compete in a doubleheader Sunday at home. The Kettleers will resume their game against Chatham, which was cut short due to weather, in the bottom of the third inning. The Anglers are leading 1-0.

After that game, which will begin at 11 a.m. EDT, the Kettleers will take on Bourne at 4:30 p.m. EDT to conclude the regular season. Both contests will only go seven innings.

“Obviously, we're not playing our best baseball right now, but that doesn't really change how we play,” Tyranski said. “It's crunch time, so we gotta lock it in here and make a push.”