After a loss Tuesday at Hyannis, it was do or die time when Cotuit returned to Lowell Park to host Hyannis in game two of the West Divisional Series. With their backs against the wall, it was up to the Kettleers to take the next two games off the West Division Regular Season Champions. But when the Barnstable rivals clashed Wednesday, it was the Harbor Hawks who ran away with the victory and series in a 7-1 drubbing of the Kettleers.
Looking to avoid a repeat of the series opener, it was in Cotuit’s best interest to get on the scoreboard early. Instead, Raymond Olivas (UCSB) retired seven of the first nine Kettleers, and it took the team until the third inning to get their first run on a Dawson Santana (San Diego State) sacrifice fly.
Fortunately, Rocco Calise (Eckerd) did the same thing, holding Hyannis to one run in that timespan despite allowing six batters to reach. The lone score came on a no-doubt home run from Matt Ineich (West Virginia) in the top of the third inning.
However, the tie would not last long. Calise’s inability to prevent baserunners caught up to him, as he allowed consecutive singles with one out in the fourth inning. After balking, ducks sat on the pond for Nick Dromboski (Stony Brook), who made the Kettleers pay with an RBI single to break the tie.
Though Cotuit turned to team Most Outstanding Pitcher Chase Van Ameyde (Michigan State) to mitigate the damage, he did anything but. After a leadoff walk loaded the bases, Jax Gimenez (Oregon) blasted a double to the right-center wall, scoring three and blowing the game open for the Harbor Hawks.
Faced with a 5-1 deficit halfway through the game, the Kettleers had two choices. They could act as they did Tuesday and fold under adversity, or make a comeback to tie the series up.
Unfortunately, they did the former. Van Froling (UCSB) came out of the bullpen for Hyannis, allowing no hits in 3.2 innings of work. Cotuit failed to notch another run, idling while their deficit became greater.
Van Ameyde continued to battle the Harbor Hawk hitters, but he was simply outmatched. After Taylor Kirk (UCLA) walked and stole second base to open the inning, Van Ameyde gave up an RBI double to Dromboski. Following an Ineich sacrifice fly, Hyannis led 7-1. They never looked back and ran off with the game.
With the loss Wednesday, year one of the Coach Rob Cooper era comes to an end. There were plenty of high notes. A victory to start the year, a late comeback to defeat then-undefeated Yarmouth-Dennis in June and of course Sam Christiansen’s (Alabama) walk-off double in Game 40 that helped the Kettleers make the postseason.
But, there are some things Cooper will look back on and wish he could undo. Losing 11 of the final 15 games of the regular season to almost miss the playoffs, having the fewest wins of any team in the league and getting swept in the playoffs for the first time in three years while being outscored 14-1.
With a new coach, there were always going to be some quirks in year one. But the future is bright and season two of the Cooper era will certainly have a lot for Cotuit fans to look forward to.
“I knew Cotuit was a special place,” Cooper said. “But I didn’t know how special it truly was until I came here and saw this town show up day in and day out for us. I appreciate this community so much and know that next year we’re going to put a great winning team on the field.”
It may be another 10 months before Kettleer baseball is played at Lowell Park. But, as the chill of autumn creeps in and the warm summer nights fade away, there will be plenty of fond memories for Cotuit fans to look back upon.
