WAREHAM, Mass. — With the playoffs inching closer every day, each game the Kettleers play matters. They will compete in five games over the next three days to decide their fate, as Cotuit is battling Wareham for fourth place in the West Division.
The two teams were scheduled to play two days ago, but the weather had other plans. Things shifted, and the Kettleers found themselves playing a doubleheader Friday. They faced Wareham first in a critical matchup, falling 7-1 in seven innings.
It was a disappointing result, and Cotuit coach Rob Cooper didn’t mince words — “The last time we played (the Gatemen), we beat them. We've had an opportunity ever since that day to kind of put some distance between them and us, and we haven't done it,” he said.
Things looked promising when the Kettleers loaded the bases in the first inning, yet by the end of the inning, they trailed 4-0. The Gatemen pounced, capitalizing on mistakes from Cotuit pitcher Tyler Brashear (Eckerd). He leads the league in hit-by-pitches, and he hit Wareham’s very first batter. He then walked one and hit another to load the bases.
A walk gave the Gatemen a run before Wareham’s Coen Niclai (Arizona State) whacked a double, which drove in three runs.
In the blink of an eye, the Gatemen led 7-0 after the third. They struggled to score again, as Cotuit pitcher Luke Raho (West Chester) clamped down. He entered the game in the fourth inning, marking his debut.
“I talked to him on the phone, but (I) literally met him (and) shook his hand getting onto the bus to come over here,” Cooper said. “That guy came out here, didn't know a soul and had a great outing.”
Raho impressed, putting together three-up, three-down innings in the fourth, fifth and sixth. His team couldn’t help him out, as the Kettleers only managed to score one run. It came in the fifth thanks to a double from Aiden Aguayo (UCLA).
Cotuit isn’t dead just yet, as the Kettleers have the tiebreaker over the Gatemen. Of the five matchups between the two, Cotuit has won three. The Kettleers will hope to win a few more and secure a spot in the playoffs, with their next opportunity coming in the second game of the doubleheader at 7 p.m. EDT in Falmouth.
“It's just funny how the postseason works; If you get in, it's a brand new season, and anything can happen,” Cooper said. “The one thing I will tell you is that our kids are very proud. They're taking a lot of pride. We've got some guys that are playing really hurt, and they're willing to keep fighting because they want to try to win and play in the postseason.”
